Pinning ceremony, now that you're an RN, was it worth it?

rpv_rn · Oct 28, 2006

i still remember our pinning ceremony. i started tearing when we lighted our florence nightingale lamps and said the florence nightingale pledge.

Lacie, BSN, RN · Oct 28, 2006

We didnt have to pay for our ceremony either but there was several choices for our pins to fit just about anyone's budget. I think I took the 14 kt gold and it's tossed in a box somewhere that I cant remember lol. As others said having the RN tag after my name means more than the ceremony did.

JohnBearPA · Oct 28, 2006

We didn't have a pinning ceremony, per se, but were given our pins a few hours before our graduation ceremony. Then we could have our instructors, s/o's, etc pin us before the grad ceremony.

I had gotten a call early (2am) that morning that my Mom, who was in a local hospital (where I had my last few clinical rotations), had to have emergency surgery to stop a bleed assoc. with the Vulvar CA she was dying from. Spent the day at the hosp, in ICU with her after the surg, and my S/O, called my PN program director to let her know I might not be attending graduation.

Needless to say, the program dir immediately told Tim, my S/O, to get his butt over there and get my pin, so my Mom could pin me as I had planned since entering NS (My Mom was an LPN also). He also got my white uniform shirt and brought it to the hospital so Mom could pin me from her bed in ICU. My sister, my S/O, and a close family friend was there to witness Mom pinning me with tears in her eyes, as I was finally, officially, a nurse! It was bittersweet, but I wouldn't have changed it for the world.

I did go to graduation, with MUCH prodding from Mom, and taped it on my new video recorder (bought special for that occassion), and immediately went back to the ICU, where the nurses had a television set up for us to show Mom. All the time we were gone, all she did was brag about how proud she was of me for graduating, with such huge odds against me (her CA was very advanced by this time, and I spent as much time with her after school and work as possible, as we knew already that she wouldn't make it thru this.).

I wear my pin proudly every day at work, and every time I pin it on my uniform, I think back to that moment when Mom first pinned me, and know that she's with me as I do my best to continue to make her proud as the best nurse I can be. Mom's gone now, but I'm so glad I had those few moments that I'll remember for the rest of my days!

Thanks to the OP, for bringing that memory back to me so clearly. If you can afford it, go to the ceremony, you'll remember it for the rest of your life!

Jarnaes · Oct 28, 2006

If money is tight, do what's right for you and you family, and skip the pinning ceremony. Even if I had lots of money I'd refuse to pay $250...

Nowhere in your career will it be an issue that you did not attend the pinning ceremony. Your nursing license will not have a checked box with "attended ceremony" or "did not attend ceremony". It's just a sentimental ceremony. Go on in life and be happy. Congratulations on becoming a nurse and welcome to the pack!!!

babynrsrn · Oct 28, 2006

Thank you everyone!!!
Its kind of fun to read everyones' experiences. I'm not big on ceremonies, and I'm not very sentimental. I AM cheap.:)

Then I would skip it. Like someone else said, it isn't going to make a difference to anyone but you.

Mizzyfrufru, LPN · Oct 28, 2006

well said vbmenu_register("postmenu_1899864", true); Jarnaes

Mizzyfrufru, LPN · Oct 28, 2006

well said vbmenu_register("postmenu_1899864", true); Jarnaes

Mizzyfrufru, LPN · Oct 28, 2006

well said vbmenu_register("postmenu_1899864", true); Jarnaes

whiskeygirl, LPN · Oct 28, 2006

JohnBear, that was such a great story! I would charish those moments too!

JustJen, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2006

Depending on when it is (you need time to plan)......

A few of the area hospitals sponsored our ceremony. We let the hospital be named on the announcments-they wrote the checks.

Just a thought..........its a win-win. Good PR for the hospitals, nice for the students budget.

Justhere, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2006

I enjoyed our pinning, we had raised money during the school year which paid for the cake and punch for after the pinning. All we had to pay for was our lamps and pins, and the price on that was depending on what lamp and pin you wanted. I think mine was a total of $75. But at the end of the ceremony I had made a slide show that had everyones pictures we tried to have it starting with a baby pic, then a kindergarten pic, graduation pic (High school) LPN grad pic (this was an lpn to rn program) then a recent pic. It turned out really well. And as a gift I gave everyone a copy of the slide show presentation. OH also did one that was running while everyone was being seated that was pictures we had taken throughout the year during the nursing program.

777RNThatsMe · Oct 29, 2006

I'm wondering how you experienced nurses feel about your pinning ceremony now that you are out in the working world.
I'm a single mother. Money is tight. Our class wants in the neighborhood of 250.00 for each of us to participate in the pinning ceremony. I believe that does NOT pay for the pin itself. So...if I don't do this, what will it mean in the long run? Will I regret it? Or will I be glad I saved my money?

I didn't attend my pinning (neither did some other classmates)..and I didnt miss a thing. You can buy a pin for 5 bucks My class got way too political and narrow minded...i wanted nothing to do w/it.

Just be glad you made it . i asked other nurses 20plus years experience and they could not even remember their ceremony.

The only thing that you do miss (which stinks) is receiving the degree from the administrator.... the thing is it all depends on your ceremony - are they doing something you will miss. Our ceremony was very small, and highly political and designed to please a few members of the class. I passed. I received another degree in the past in front of the whole school, gown robe, etc...and that was cool - I think nursing needs to just do the same thing. Make it professional and part of the main school; it is a degree after all. But....every school does something different so examine what your class is doing...and see how important it is to you. You have to answer that one for yourself! Congrats on finishing by the way!