Male graduate and pinning

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Hello everyone, I just finished my last exit ATI predictor exam with 99% passing the NCLEX, and my pinning day is tomorrow. After deep thinking and since I'm the only male student, I decided not to go for pinning and graduation. I have another degree and passing nursing school is huge thing for me and I feel really great. Some of my friends are telling me since I'm not going to pinning that means I didn't take nursing school seriously which is not true at all.

I spent the last two years working nights and study with 2 kids and wife to take care of and beside that I graduated with 3.8 GPA in one of the hardest nursing schools in my area and one of the toughest programs. I went to nursing school to earn a degree and start new career not to get a pin. I have a job lined up already and I'm preparing for the NCLEX which I'll take within few weeks. Did anyone of you skip his pinning/ graduation? and how you really feel about it?

Thanks

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

No I didn't skip. I wasn't particularly excited about it but I did it to pay respect to the tradition of nursing school and the nursing profession.

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No I didn't skip. I wasn't particularly excited about it but I did it to pay respect to the tradition of nursing school and the nursing profession.

Skipping pinning doesn't mean that I'm not respecting the profession of nursing. I respect the profession of nursing by taking care of my patients and being an advocate for them and deliver the best care I can, in this way I pay respect to the profession not by a pin.

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

what makes celebrating with your peers, even if it involves a pin, a negative thing?

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what makes celebrating with your peers, even if it involves a pin, a negative thing?

I didn't say it's a negative thing but I never been interested in pinning or even graduating especially I don't have close friends since I was working full time. I didn't mention that pinning is negative thing at all I just said it's not appealing for me for many reason especially I don't have family in the state or close friends in the college to know them well.

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Specializes in Family practice, emergency.

No one is going to pin you down and make you go (haha). People giving you a hard time reflects that it is important to them. If it is not important to you, don't worry about it. A lot of nursing students without kids cannot fathom how difficult it is to complete a program with a family. My pinning was really awkward and I had to go to the whole school commencement to attend (uuuuuggggh), so I could have gone without it, but being from a family of nurses, I would have gotten beat up.

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

if it's a waste of time, don't go! no problem!

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
Skipping pinning doesn't mean that I'm not respecting the profession of nursing. I respect the profession of nursing by taking care of my patients and being an advocate for them and deliver the best care I can, in this way I pay respect to the profession not by a pin.

You asked for feelings about it. That's how I feel. Do whatever you want to do.

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If you don't want to go, then don't go and don't worry about it.

I went to school online so did not need to worry about it (I would not have gone).

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Hey, some of us are just not into this sort of thing - it's not gender-specific. I have never attended any of my graduation ceremonies after HS (parents made me go to that one). I avoid ritualistic behavior at all costs. Even those time-honored family holiday "traditions"- the ones where everyone is pretending to have a good time and not notice the overly flirty cousin and drunk uncle - skeeze me out. Maybe it's my own personal psychopathology... but it's MINE, and I like it. Me? I'm shooting for a more random life full of unique and meaningful moments.

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I went to my pinning but honestly I mostly did it for my parents and family rather than myself. The whole thing was long and the seat was very uncomfortable. And we got our pins even before the ceremony, all we did was walk on stage and take pictures.

If you dont feel like going, dont go! Many of my friends didnt go to pinning or graduation because they didnt give a flipping whoop about it. They had lives going on already, and just went out to celebrate with their families.

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Specializes in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

I went to mine, but it did not feel unique or special to me. After, I was a bit sad and not because it was our last time as a nursing group, but how quickly everyone dispersed. I was looking to take many photos and give hugs and congratulations, but within 10 minutes of the ceremony ending, everyone already left and went their own ways. Seemed like most wanted to get out and party rather than to say one final farewell to each other. But that's how the nursing program was and is. We are their to become nurses, not to make friends. When I got my license is when I truly felt something. I didn't bother going to the actual college graduation though.

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