Pinning ceremonies...

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Oct 21, 2006

I don't necessarily think you're going to offend anyone, but I think it's good for you as a student to begin participating in activities that are not oriented toward the male gender. In the vast majority of nursing specialties, we're outnumbered. Don't feel threatened or embarrassed by it.

MsBruiser · Oct 21, 2006

I don't think participation is optional. So I'll take your response as a "yes, it is a girlie activity, it is as bad as you think, suck it up." Fair enough...

ShaunES · Oct 21, 2006

What exactly is a pinning ceremony?

MikeyJ, RN · Oct 21, 2006

I don't necessarily see it as a female oriented activity. Would you rather they go back to caps?

PMFB-RN, RN · Oct 21, 2006

Yes I think it's "girly". Participating was optional at my school and I chose not to take part, as did about 1/4 of the women in the class. If it had been required I would have done it without complaint. I am totaly secure in my manhood.

I don't know how old you are but wait until you are a working RN and your boss is a 21 year old girl with one year of experience. That was hard for me (not becuase she was a she, becuase she was so much younger than I and she only had a year of experience vs my 11 years).

truern · Oct 21, 2006

During my pinning ceremony they dimmed the lights and then we lit our lamps from our neighbor's lamp. It was a beautitful and special moment...one that even our men graduates enjoyed. Trust me...you'll get so caught up in the moments you're sharing with people you've come to appreciate and trust and you'll just be overwhelmed at even participating :)

My fellow students of the masculine persuasion didn't even mind receiving their long-stemmed red roses. They just gave them to their wives after the ceremony.

MsBruiser · Oct 21, 2006

I don't like ceremony...especially one with pins and roses and candles. Too soriety like. If it is optional I'll skip it. Somehow I doubt that it is optional. I'll take one for the team. From all the pictures/comments/etc it seems pretty overemotional and maudlin.

MikeyJ, RN · Oct 21, 2006

Lamps? HuH? I have never heard of candles and lamps. That does sound sort of unnecessary. At our school (UNLV), we have a "white coat ceremony". During that ceremony, the Dean gives us a white coat with our school patch on it, and then they pin you with our schools pin. It is just a red and black pin with our SON symbol and our schools name. It is a very professional ceremony.

jb2u, ASN, RN · Oct 21, 2006

I've helped the past graduates in my program by ushering and, personally, I can't wait for the pinning ceremony. No it is not girlie, many MEN carried oil lamps in those times. Not everyman carried around a torch of fire! I am more excited about the pinning than I am the graduation ceremony. I hope you find a way to enjoy it and view it as a tradition that is a part of your career.

Sincerely,

Jay

jov · Oct 21, 2006

pinning ceremonies (pins, nightingale lamps, etc.) don't seem very oriented towards the male gender.

gotta tell ya here, stopnik, that i'm with you. pinning ceremonies don't seem very oriented toward a profession- period. i'm having a hard time with a lot of these nursing ceremony traditions. they just seem to squeak "handmaiden." for pete's sake, i'm a grown, married woman who pays my mortgage, travels internationally and owns my own business. i'm supposed to go up on a stage and have a piece of white cardboard put on my head and be happy about it?

if it is o.k. with the moderators, here is what some previous posters said about their pinning ceremonies...

complete with white uniforms, caps, lanterns, nightingale pledge, etc

we had a very eligant pinning ceramony as the only graduation. we all wore all white uniforms of our choice and recieved the lamp on knowledge our school pin and recited the nursing pledge. it was a very emotional time with many tears for most of our graduates.

for the pinning ceremony we're required to wear our uniforms and have the hair up off the collor.

it's a special night with everybody wearing semi-formal black and white. we are pinned with our school pin, receive a cap if we want one, and light our own personalized ceramic lamps

our own personalized ceramic lamps? i mean, can you imagine graduating from law school and getting your own personalized ceramic lamp?

and finally, here is the one i thought i would barf...

i found it to be very emotional and beautiful. we were required to wear all white, almost like virgins going out into the world.

how silly will i look?

jb2u, ASN, RN · Oct 22, 2006

our own personalized ceramic lamps? I mean, can you imagine graduating from law school and getting your own personalized ceramic lamp

That would be silly because it is not part of their tradition! As far as the pledge, I've taken a pledge in the U.S. Army and many other professions have pledges/oaths. Tradition is tradition. I think cap and gowns look silly and all professions go through this ceremony.