Pinning Ceremony- NEED HELP

dian57 · Sep 17, 2005

Let me start by telling you I am an old nurse, so old I could've been a waitress that the Last Supper.

I had a both a capping and pinning ceremony in LPN school that was very moving and inspirational. We all had candles and stood in a semi-circle (I remember the auditorium lights being turned down). We had to recite something, was it the Florence Nightengale pledge?

When I went to college for the RN, the pinning ceremony was a bit more dry and less dramatic. We walked in single file and filled the seats. We sat and listened to the president of the college, the head of the nursing department and the student with the highest grade point average (she was hysterical). Our advisors stood at the podium and called us up one by one. We shook hands with the President, were handed a long-stemmed red rose by the head of the Nursing Dept and our advisor pinned our pin onto our uniform. Then we had a picture taken on stage and we went back to our seats.

All of this walking and shaking and rose receiving and pinning was done, of course, to the thunderous applause of our families.

After all the names were called, there was coffee and a huge cake with the college insignia and nursing department logo on it for all to enjoy.

JentheRN05, RN · Sep 17, 2005

I graduated in May from a catholic college. I was part of the ceremony, a small part. First our dean of nursing students spoke, then a nun from the place that owns the school, then our class president, then following that was our guest speaker. We as a class voted on who the speaker was going to be, and then requested their presence. She was someone that meant alot to all of us in class as she was the head of a mental health place we did our clinical rotation on. After her speech, we had the blessing of the pins. After that was the actual pinning. Following the pinning we had several speakers from our class. I personally read a poem I wrote devoted to family members lost during the time we were in school I had a screen placed in the church that would scroll names of family members we lost after I read the poem we handed out roses to family members that had an impact on our education, as we handed out roses a class member, who was a guitarist and singer sang a song (again voted on by the class - I grew to like it although it wasn't the one I voted for). After that someone read a prayer, then another poem and then the passing out of the diplomas.

This was a beautiful event, we had many complements, especially since we pulled it together ourselves, a class of 28. We only had funding from the school on rental of the church and the gym associated with the church. Beyond that, a former classmate made 8 cakes, and another classmate made 4 LG punch bowls of punch. We had to pay for the roses ourselves, and our pins. I created the program that was played with the names scrolling. Basically it was alot of work. We had one girl in our class that insisted on EVERY single thing being a VOTE. It got really old, so one day, when she missed class, we as a class just decided a bunch of things without her lol

It was wonderful in my opinion although it was storming outside and the power went out once in the church, we all joked it was some of us that we weren't supposed to be in a church lol.

If you need other ideas I can tell you some of the ideas we had as well, but most of them were used.

Good luck, make it count it's the only one you'll get :rolleyes:

nursewithoutahome · Sep 18, 2005

Hi all!
I need help with my pinning ceremony. I am in a class of 28 that graduate this December and the faculty left the ceremony entirely up to a handful of students. We have a general idea of what to do and what needs to be done, but other that--we are CLUELESS
If willing, can you tell me what your ceremony was like?
What were some cool/interesting things you liked about it?
How was it funded?
Thanks so much in advance if you take time to reply to this. Any suggestions or ideas are GREATLY appreciated.

Hi,

I'm new to this so bare with me...I was put in the same position for my pinning as well. We had a nursing organization at the school I attended, and the students served as representatives from each class. The organization held fund raisers every year to raise money for pinning and capping ceremonies.

The pinning was similar to a graduation ceremony where all the nurses wore white dresses (slacks and lab coats for the fellows), our nursing caps and red carnation coursages. (sp). We walked in - in pairs - and took our seats. The BSN students were seated in the front and the ADN behind. The Dean of nursing spoke...(haven't a clue what she said) and she introduced a guest speaker (a friend of hers from previous encounters - don't know what she said either). Then the president of the nursing organization got up and wished all the students success in their new careers followed by one of the students singing a song. The ceremony fiinished with the students crossing the stage as their name was read...the dean placed the pin on their lapel, a representative from the Gideons presented each student with a white new testament, and the head of the BSN/ADN program gave each student a lamp with a candle and the head of the opposite program lit the candle [if it was a BSN student the ADN head gave the lamp and the BSN head lit the candle]. The students lined up on a riser until everyone had gotten their pin and 'accessories'. There was a short period available for familly to come forward and take pictures...then the students cited the Nightengale Pledge. Then we proceeded out to the dining area where cake, punch and coffee awaited. Family and friends then joined for the eats.

Hope this helps.

PS If it helps the "vocal musician" was a class member and chose to participate... We kind of threw it out to the students and ask what they would like to do or have as a part of their pinning.