Who pinned you?

Nurses New Nurse

Published

I'm graduating in May and I'm trying to decide who to ask. My class has decided to have a person of their choice pin each student. I would like to ask one of my nurse mentors to pin me, however, it seems like a lot of my classmates are having their family pin them. It's pretty important to me to have another nurse welcome me into the profession. But, I don't want to hurt my family's feelings if it's more traditional to for a family member to do it.

So, who pinned you?

And how was your graduation?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics.

The nursing instructors do it at our school.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It is definitely not "more traditional" to have a family member or friend pin you. This is a recent development. Pinning ceremonies originated as the graduation ceremony of hospital-based diploma schools, and the "pinning" represented the school putting its final "stamp of approval" on you, that you were good enough (competent enough) to go out into the world and represent the school. You were pinned by the director of the program, the same as it is the president/chancellor of a college or university who hands you your degree at a college or university commencement ceremony. People don't get to choose which family member they'd like to have confer their degree, and nobody thinks there's anything unfair or unreasonable about that ...

The original process was watered down to being able to choose which faculty member (of your nursing program) you'd like to have pin you, and then watered down even further to include family members/loved ones.

I was pinned by the director of my diploma nursing program.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED.

My mom (who's an RN) pinned me at my ceremony

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I think we were simply handed our pins.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, OR, PACU, TELE, CATH LAB, OPEN HEART.

Director of our school of nursing gave us our diplomas and pinned us.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC/Skilled Care/Rehab.

I didn't partake in the pinning ceremony. I didn't want to spend money I didn't have for a pin. The people who were pinned had professors/clinical instructors do it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NeuroICU/SICU/MICU.

I'm graduating in May also. I'm having my aunt (a nurse) pin me, because she was always a mentor and a good role model for me, and she's the reason I decided to go to nursing school in the first place. If she had been unavailable, I would have had one of my instructors pin me. It doesn't feel right to me to have a parent or my husband pin me - it's a profession thing. I'm with you, I'd rather have a nurse "welcome" me to the profession.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

My mom (an RN for 43 years) pinned me. It was a special time for both of us. For those in my class that didn't have a family member RN/friend RN pin them, it was someone from our faculty.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in MSICU, Neuro/Trauma ICU.

my mom will be :) For our graduating class we decided to let each individual choose who they wanted to pin them - whether that be family or faculty.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My convocation is May 13th and we can decide who we want to pin us. Although I had many good instructors over the past 4 years, no one has really stood out as someone I want to choose...so I may just have my husband do it. He doesn't want to and it feels weird, but it feels even weirder to ask some random professor that I feel lukewarm about to do it :confused:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I was not your typical nursing student. I am a single mother of three wonderful children (all under the age of 11) and took care of my disabled mother while completing an accelerated nursing program. My children are the ones who drove me to be the best I could be and that is what helped me get through nursing school. So when it came time for the pinning I chose my children to pin me. My class chose who they wanted to pin them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment