Need info on what you LOVED about your pinning ceremony

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in School Nurse.

Hello all,

As president of my school's nursing club, I get to help organize the pinning ceremony. I will go to this year's ceremony next month to see what it's all about, but I'm wondering if any of you have some ideas for me to talk about our next meeting. How was your ceremony? Anything you loved? Anything you hated? I gather that pretty much everyone has a photo slide show playing in the beginning, accompanied by music that has to be meaningful in some way, but what else?

Thanks for your help,

Lemur

Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.

just the fact that we were pinned, in of itself, was awesome. we each (there were about 110 graduates) wrote a small blurb to be said about ourselves, which included what speciality we were going to be working in, what state we would be living in, where we were from originally, and our "thanks" (thanks, mom and dad for the money, thanks jen and becky for the crazy post-clinical nights at the stone balloon, thanks my roommate for not being loud, etc.). that was pretty cool, and we learned about each other. the top student spoke, as a valedictorian at a high school graduation would.

this wasn't done, but if there are any students who are gifted musically, perhaps a song that is graduation-meaningful would be nice.

:offtopic:the best part of my pinning ceremony, though, cannot be repeated. one my fellow graduates was a pediatric leukemia survivor. she'd been treated in a military hospital, and grew up wanting to be a pediatric oncology nurse just like her favorite nurse who took care of her, although she hadn't seen the woman since she left the hospital nearly twenty years before. well, someone at my school, working with her parents, found said nurse, and that nurse pinned my classmate instead of the professor who pinned everyone else. she even wore her old nursing school cap! this was a complete surprise to the graduate, and all of us. there was not a dry eye in the house and whenever i think of it, i have goosebumps!

jess

Specializes in School Nurse.

And total goosebumps here, too! What a cool story.

L.

Specializes in Utilization Management.

We all stood in a circle with our candles as one instructor gave a speech about the meaning of the nursing traditions and the meaning of graduating from nursing school while another instructor lit our candles. Then we were called up to stand under an arch, where the person of our choice pinned us.

Our planners did a great job, and it was a memorable dinner and ceremony.

Specializes in NICU.

We also did a little card about our future plans, and our thanks to family/friends that was read while we received our pins, and had a picture taken. It was something nice to fill the gap, rather than waiting for the pin to be cooperative.

Students could select a nurse important to them to place their pin, so that was cool.

There was a photographer who took the graduates' pictures, ceremony pictures, and would take the grad's picture with friends and/or family. My favorite one is of my grandpa kissing the top of my head. He cried so hard, and he just kept saying, "Your grandma would be so proud of you, honey." (She passed away a year prior, and was always SO supportive.) I love that I have a snapshot of that moment.

We also had a special recognition for a staff member who is having some health issues. We raised a nice sum for her family, and a speaker said a little something about how awesome she is.

We read the Pledge, and the Nurse's Prayer. I honestly don't remember what the music was, or what the admin said during the ceremony. :)

Specializes in Geriatrics and emergency medicine.

:redpinkheeach of us received a red rose, had a soloist sing "on eagle's wings"

we could give the rose to the person who supported us, meant the most to us during our schooling

had the nurses prayer said, and then a flute played the lord's prayer

Specializes in ER.

The one thing I wish we had done was have the person of our choice pin us. As it was, the director of our program pinned us...and most of us didn't know her from Eve. We all had a special person we wanted to share that moment with (and she wasn't it).

Our school also used a list of everyone that was graduating, rather than of who was present. It was kinda awkward to call someone's name and realize they weren't present for whatever reason. (Call order solved by RSVPs, check in on pinning night and a computer would have taken care of this).

I'm not a big fan of ceremonies, so maybe I'm hypercritical. I will say we had a special moment when the school gave an honorary presentation to an awesome guy in our class that made it halfway through the program, but had to leave after being DXd with a terminal brain tumor. Although he has been given less than a year survival, he was still in pretty good shape (couldn't tell anything was wrong unless you saw his scars), and he was presented. Must have been dusty in the building, cause my eyes got pretty watery.

All in all, I would suggest figuring a way where the pinees can honor someone who walked the journey with them, be it another student or family member. It may take a little more work and creativity, but I think it would add a ton of meaning to those participating.

Specializes in School Nurse.

We do have the instructor of our choice do the pinning, so that's already in place. I am going to look into having a photographer there for pictures of getting pinned, I don't think that is done. Good ideas, guys - keep 'em coming!

L.

:offtopic:the best part of my pinning ceremony, though, cannot be repeated. one my fellow graduates was a pediatric leukemia survivor. she'd been treated in a military hospital, and grew up wanting to be a pediatric oncology nurse just like her favorite nurse who took care of her, although she hadn't seen the woman since she left the hospital nearly twenty years before. well, someone at my school, working with her parents, found said nurse, and that nurse pinned my classmate instead of the professor who pinned everyone else. she even wore her old nursing school cap! this was a complete surprise to the graduate, and all of us. there was not a dry eye in the house and whenever i think of it, i have goosebumps!

jess

oh my......never mind the goosebumps, this had me in tears!!

we didn't have the option of choosing who pinned us, but it was special for me anyway: my very first clinical instructor was a new instructor, and we were her first group. two years later she was my last clinical instructor, and just by coincidence she was the one who pinned us. while she was pinning me i said very quietly, "i feel like i've come full circle with you. thank you."

Specializes in A myriad of specialties.

What pinning ceremony? (what exactly is done during suchan event?)Never had one that I know of; but then I didn't stay for graduation as I traveled home to another state to start work.

What pinning ceremony? (what exactly is done during suchan event?)Never had one that I know of; but then I didn't stay for graduation as I traveled home to another state to start work.

A pinning is held as part of a nursing school graduation. Each student receives a school pin, then the Florence Nightingale Pledge is recited.

The best part of my pinning ceremony (which brought me to tears) was the instructors making the sign of the cross (Catholic private school), anointing our hands with oil and blessing them with healing.

It still gives me goose bumps and is something I will cherish.

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