Pinning Ceremony Q's

kids · Jun 7, 2006

For my Pinning Ceremony on 5/19/06, we(students) were told to choose someone who has played an important role in helping us achieve & earn our nursing degree. A majority of the students picked relatives(spouses, parents, etc). Some picked relatives who are also nurses & about 2 or 3 picked an instructor. I personally wanted to pick my daughter because she's been my rock throughout the past 5 years that I've been a single parent to her & struggled to complete nursing school. But she is only 9 so I had to choose someone else.

I'm so sorry they wont allow your daughter.

When I pinned 15 :eek: years ago I chose my kids (then 5, 6 & 9) to do it because all my reasons for going to school had to do with them.

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Jun 7, 2006

At dinner following my pinning, I'm going to present my mother with the one item she most wanted and could not earn: a nurse's cap from then Norfolk General Hospital.

She wanted to be a nurse in the worst way; she went to nursing school in 1953. Her first patient died in her first clinical experience and when coupled with the fact that she was taking 15 hours of college work at what was then the Norfolk Division of William and Mary (now Old Dominion University) she ended up on the verge of a nervous breakdown. No one talked about the man dying (actually, it was unexpected; he had been doing quite well); she left one day and told him she'd see him tomorrow - she came back to clinical the next day and he was gone, and the room was as if he'd never been there. When she asked the charge nurse where he was, she was bluntly told, "He died last night". There was no counseling, no support, no camraderie...it really messed with her.

Back then 15 hours was a lot (this was 15 hours at NDW&M PLUS clinical PLUS two classes at NG). She often says she was trying to do too much; she was worried about her parents paying for school and she wanted to be done as soon as possible.

I think that many times she's regretted it in a way.

She's 71 now; lost my dad last year after 51 years of marriage....I think she'd like her white cap. I'd like her to pin me, too. I realize DH is paying the tuition and is extremely supportive and all that - but she was never pinned and I believe she'd really like it if I asked her to. If my dad, a Korea-Vietnam veteran who flew Medevac as a Navy corpsman were still living, I'd ask him to do it. I really wanted him to be there for it.

Not trying to hijack; I just saw your post and got all nostalgic.

danaRN2b · Jun 7, 2006

Our instructors pinned us. As for something special at the ceremony, one of our students gathered photos & messages from anyone in our class who wanted to acknowledge those in his/her support system. She created a slideshow to run during the beginning of the ceremony that had the student's message followed by the pics they submitted, with great songs playing throughout...think "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion (we were all bawling). I think it was a great way to acknowledge all of our family & friends who stuck by us throughout nursing school, and it was also a way for we students (we saw it ahead of time) to see the families we heard so much about over the past two years! Also, when each student was pinned, our Director asked any of that student's family/friends in attendance to stand & be acknowledged. It was really special.

blueberry21 · Jul 12, 2006

At the risk of sounding ignorant:

What is the pinning ceremony??

Is this in addition to a graduation ceremony where you wear a cap and gown and receive your degree?

I remember someone saying that they wore a traditional nurse's cap for a ceremony once.

Will someone be kind enough to enlighten me on this?

Thanks

rninme · Jul 12, 2006

I attended a diploma school. Our Big Brother or Big Sister from nursing school pinned us.