Help --Pinning Ceremony Ideas

puggymae · Sep 6, 2006

Keep it simple. At our school each faculty member has a role - one pins the pins on the student, one reads the students names, one leads the students in the nursing pledge, one hands each student a rose after they get their pin, one speaks about the significance of nursing pins. As each student comes to the podium the person reading the names says: "Will the family and friends of ___________ please stand." We do not allow clapping or hollering or "catcalls" during the ceremony. The class selects two classmates to speak for a total of 10 minutes - usually a recap of highs and lows of their program. We do the pledge by candlelight - the faculty member leading the pledge lights her candle off of the candle on the podium, the lights are dimmed, and then each student lights the person/faculty seated next to them. We also ALL wear a white nursing dress, white hose, clean polished shoes (no tennis shoes) and our caps. The ceremony is beautiful and family/students often sob while it is going on. Good luck planning yours! I know what ever you do it will be great.

suebird3 · Sep 6, 2006

if you do a search of the forums, there were several posts regarding this. here are 2 links: pinning ceremony q's request for pinning ceremony ideas...

suebird

moonischasingme1 · Sep 7, 2006

Keep it simple. At our school each faculty member has a role - one pins the pins on the student, one reads the students names, one leads the students in the nursing pledge, one hands each student a rose after they get their pin, one speaks about the significance of nursing pins. As each student comes to the podium the person reading the names says: "Will the family and friends of ___________ please stand." We do not allow clapping or hollering or "catcalls" during the ceremony. The class selects two classmates to speak for a total of 10 minutes - usually a recap of highs and lows of their program. We do the pledge by candlelight - the faculty member leading the pledge lights her candle off of the candle on the podium, the lights are dimmed, and then each student lights the person/faculty seated next to them. We also ALL wear a white nursing dress, white hose, clean polished shoes (no tennis shoes) and our caps. The ceremony is beautiful and family/students often sob while it is going on. Good luck planning yours! I know what ever you do it will be great.

aaaww. I can't wait until I graduate.

Ohmygosh · Sep 7, 2006

thank you soo much for your ideas ... they sound great! i am sooo excited and scared to death all at the same time.

Ohmygosh · Sep 7, 2006

Thanks for the links Sue-- As you can see I am new to the forum and haven't quite learned my way around yet.

ukstudent · Sep 7, 2006

Please make it male friendly. All white, flowers and candles makes it sound like novices joining a cloister. Although it does sound lovely, I not such it gives a professional feeling. What do other professions such as doctors, engineers etc. do for their graduations.

puggymae · Sep 7, 2006

UKStudent - we have had many male students graduate from our program - we let them skip the cap and dress . Seriously though, it is a very beautiful ceremony. Although at my own pinning ceremony many many years ago my best nursing school friend caught her bangs on fire with her candle (had about 2 cans of Aquanet on them). I very energetically hit her in the face with my program until the flames were out. People in the audience could see my wacking her in the face, but couldn't see that her hair was on fire! What a memory....