Pinning ceremonies...

jov · Oct 22, 2006

That would be silly because it is not part of their tradition!

I wonder why.

MsBruiser · Oct 22, 2006

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.

amen is all i can say. it just seems ridiculous and does scream of "handmaidens." i want to see doctors do that...

CTRNTOBE · Oct 23, 2006

I do not understand some of the men here. Did you guys just go into nursing for the money. You are forgetting that part of nursing is showing compassion, mercy and some emotion and Stopnik's posts seem awfully cold and way to macho. Lighten up dude it only for one night and you should want to share it with you fellow classmates.

I am a man and will be starting Fall 07 in the nursing program and I am already looking forward to the pinning ceremony; lamp, rose and all. My wife is not getting my rose either, I will have busted my butt so it's mine.

Just my 2 cents.

MsBruiser · Oct 23, 2006

I do not understand some of the men here. Did you guys just go into nursing for the money. You are forgetting that part of nursing is showing compassion, mercy and some emotion and Stopnik's posts seem awfully cold and way to macho. Lighten up dude it only for one night and you should want to share it with you fellow classmates.
I am a man and will be starting Fall 07 in the nursing program and I am already looking forward to the pinning ceremony; lamp, rose and all. My wife is not getting my rose either, I will have busted my butt so it's mine.
Just my 2 cents.

You are absolutely right...I'll just climb into my cage and eat some raw meat. In fact, give me your address and I'll even send you my rose and lamp!

jov · Oct 23, 2006

:welcome: Welcome to the thread, CTRNTOBE...

You are forgetting that part of nursing is showing compassion, mercy and some emotion

Since this thread is about pinning ceremonies, could you clarify your thoughts a little further?

such as: what does compassion have to do with wearing all white (like virgins being sent out into the world), a dinky ceramic lamp with BOB on it, and a piece of white cardboard on your head?

I do not understand some of the men here. Did you guys just go into nursing for the money.

It also is unclear to me what gender has to do with it, since I am a woman who objects to the same aspects of the pinning ceremonies as OP.

help me out here, because I am not getting it:o

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2006

You know, after 2 years in the ADN program, I'm just going to be happy it's done! I'll be right on with celebrating with the "girls" for one afternoon, after all, I'll be drinking them under the table the weekend after!!

jb2u, ASN, RN · Oct 24, 2006

I wonder why.

Your profile states that you are a nursing student. Are you pre-nursing or just haven't learned the significance of the lamp in your program yet? I am not trying to be "smart" with you. I ask because this is your response to my comment that the lamp is not a part of a law students graduation ceremony; however, I will answer the question. One, Florence Nightingale, the "lady with the lamp," was not a lawyer. Two, it is a symbol of the care and devotion the graduating Nurse promises to give to her/his patients. Pinnings began in the 1830's and the lighting of the lamp started in the 1860's. That is a pretty rich tradition that I will be proud to be a part of in 2007.

jov · Oct 24, 2006

I understand the lamp is a symbol. But lamps haven't been used for nearly 100 years. Lawyers used to wear white powdered wigs in court. So based on the same logic of "tradition" is it expected to see that in a law school graduation ceremony? No. Because it would look silly. Graduating law students refuse to look silly. They are smart, capable, grown men. Things like the little personalized ceramic lamps and The Cap are silly too, and I wish more graduating nursing students would refuse to look silly and look more like smart, capable, grown women.

It is wonderful to have a ceremony where our efforts are recognized and our accomplishments are lauded. I believe it can be done with a great deal more dignity and respect if we leave out flowers, lamps and caps. They all point towards "the weaker sex" which is a major influence that has crippled nursing's growth as a profession. JMHO.

MsBruiser · Oct 24, 2006

I understand the lamp is a symbol. But lamps haven't been used for nearly 100 years. Lawyers used to wear white powdered wigs in court. So based on the same logic of "tradition" is it expected to see that in a law school graduation ceremony? No. Because it would look silly. Graduating law students refuse to look silly. They are smart, capable, grown men. Things like the little personalized ceramic lamps and The Cap are silly too, and I wish more graduating nursing students would refuse to look silly and look more like smart, capable, grown women.
It is wonderful to have a ceremony where our efforts are recognized and our accomplishments are lauded. I believe it can be done with a great deal more dignity and respect if we leave out flowers, lamps and caps. They all point towards "the weaker sex" which is a major influence that has crippled nursing's growth as a profession. JMHO.

You hit the nail on the head. I don't find those accoutrements very professional. More reminiscent of a soriety initiation than a professional graduation ceremony. And it is not macho to think they look silly and frivolous. In fact, if I were compared to the other males in my program I would probably be considered the least macho, but I like to think that I have dignity. But then again, this is a profession where I was asked at my externship interview "what would you do if a co-worker were talking about you behind your back." I answered "I really don't care - I derive my self-esteem and pleasure from my family not a gosspy co-worker" in which case one of the assistant nursing directors turned to the other and said "we really need to hire more men in this department."

jb2u, ASN, RN · Oct 24, 2006

I understand the lamp is a symbol. But lamps haven't been used for nearly 100 years. Lawyers used to wear white powdered wigs in court. So based on the same logic of "tradition" is it expected to see that in a law school graduation ceremony? No. Because it would look silly. Graduating law students refuse to look silly. They are smart, capable, grown men. Things like the little personalized ceramic lamps and The Cap are silly too, and I wish more graduating nursing students would refuse to look silly and look more like smart, capable, grown women.
It is wonderful to have a ceremony where our efforts are recognized and our accomplishments are lauded. I believe it can be done with a great deal more dignity and respect if we leave out flowers, lamps and caps. They all point towards "the weaker sex" which is a major influence that has crippled nursing's growth as a profession. JMHO.

Actually, powdered wigs have more of a historical significance than a professional significance. So, this is not really a good analogy; however, I see the point that you are trying to make. Have you been to a pinning ceremony? I don't know how all programs do it, but in my program, there are no hats, the ladies wear black dresses, and the men black suits with white shirts. Yes, there were lamps, pins, and flowers, but none of these are about gender, weakness, or sorority. It is about recognition of an accomplishment, respect for tradition, and a promise of commitment to the beliefs of the profession. I fail to see the "girlieness" in any of that.

MsBruiser · Oct 25, 2006

Then we are just never going to see eye to eye if that is your opinion. Every sorority formal I've ever seen has the black dresses and flowers and...whatever - it's a free country.

CTRNTOBE · Oct 25, 2006

Stopnik has made a point I agree with and that it is a free country.

Though I do have a question. What are you doing at so many sorority balls and formals? Just kidding!!!!

I think the point everyone is trying to get across is tradition. As a male or anyother gender student you have a say in what goes on at your pinning ceremony.

Speak up and tell them what you would like to see; you may find that a lot of other students (females included) may not want roses or lamps.

Don't give up on tradition; just bring it into the 21st century. Nightengale has been dead for along time...........