Did you get pinned?

[lo24]

I was on a totally different message board (nothing to do with nursing) and one of the board members was trying to decide whether or not to spend extra money to get a nicer pin or to get professional photos of the pinning when she graduated from her nursing program in the US.

Do Canadians get pinned as well or is it just an American thing?

Thanks!

[ruralgirl08]

I think it depends on the school. My BScN program did not do a pinning ceremony, we graduated with the rest of the university and were "hooded" like everyone else. But I did hear that another nursing school program in the area did "pin" their graduates.

[Fiona59]

We recieved our "pin" after graduation. No choice in how it looked. I hope that Norquest has changed their pin. It was truly ugly. I've never met an LPN who trained there wear it.

The truly "nice" one seem to have been issued by hospital training programmes. And we all know they are defunct up here.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

We also received our pins at graduation. At the beginning of our final year we had something called a Blue Band Ceremony - back in the day when caps were still part of the student uniform. That blue velvet band on our caps signified that we were nearing the end and had made it that far in very difficult program. At graduation we were given a black cap band and a 14k gold and blue enamel pin that I wear every day that I work.

[RPN_2012]

I heard that at our school the collab-BSN students get pinned, and the PN students don't, and frankly I'm quite upset. 2 years of hard work and I don't get a pin? Really? Is it that expensive? That's just mean! *sight*

[Fiona59]

We wore the cap at graduation. Class vote, uniform & cap vs. gown and mortar board. White won. Norquest's is pewter (I think or it could be really dull silver) and enamel and huge.

All I know is it and the CLPNA pin cost me over $12K. My most expensive pieces of jewellry.

[OgopogoLPN, LPN, RN]

No pin here. But a great grad ceremony complete with cap and gown and a fabulous diploma that I proudly have displayed in my house right below my grad pics.

[Guest233447]

We get pinned at ours in June - I can't remember what the pin looks like, but it's custom ordered from Birks. We're wearing the traditional white uniforms (but can wear white pants if we choose) and getting our pins and caps at the ceremony.

LPN program.