Graduation attire

[TessaRose]

My college does not do graduation in the winter. So instead we are having a pinning ceremony. It's obviously more personal and private compared to a general graduation. I was thinking of wearing a nice white dress with a short nurse cape and maybe a small nurse cap. Do you think I'm doing to much? I'm just very proud to belong to a profession with such a wonderful history and want to bring out that feeling out in my attire, but I'm afraid it would look like I'm trying to hard or look like I'm a snob or something.

[elkpark]

Welcome to allnurses, and congratulations on your upcoming graduation! :balloons:

I think that, just like a commencement ceremony where everyone wears caps and gowns, regardless of what anyone wanted to wear, your class should decide as a group (or, better yet, be dictated to by the school) what the attire will be for the ceremony. For pinning ceremonies traditionally, students have worn nursing uniforms, whether the class gets together and decides on a single style and everyone wears the exact same thing, or the standard is "all white" and people can wear whatever style of white uniform they want. IMO, caps should be an "everyone or no one" thing, not some with caps and some without. And a "nice white dress" should be a nursing uniform white dress, not a "civilian" white dress. Nursing capes are (were) outerwear, protection from the elements, so it would be no more appropriate to wear a cape to pinning (which I assume is going to be held indoors) than it would be to wear a coat over your clothing at the pinning.

Since nursing pins are only appropriately worn at work, in uniform, it's inappropriate to get pinned wearing anything other than work clothes (uniforms). However, I realize that people don't learn those kind of traditions in school any more and newer nurses don't have any idea of how any of this is supposed to work (or, apparently, care).

Congratulations again, and best wishes!