PLEASE HELP! Graduation Speech!!

Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN · Mar 9, 2009

I did mine for our pinning ceremony. I kept it light and tried to make it funny. Of course, I thanked our instructors and families, but I kept the focus on US where it belonged. I was in a small (20 person) accelerated program, so I told a funny story about each person. Everyone loved it, they felt so special hearing something unique about themselves! After that I talked a little about how nursing is a team effort, but it isn't always practiced that way. I talked about how we had supported each other through the difficult times, and we need to continue to do so with our colleagues.

Some of that may not apply if you have a large class, but I'm sure you will work it out! Humor is the #1 thing that will be remembered more than sappiness.

chicookie, BSN, RN · Mar 9, 2009

I was the mistress of ceremonies and I started off with the lyrics to a Japanese song that stated that how we would look back on these days and they would take on a sudden glow and stuff like that. Because it was a Japanese song no one had heard it before so it was different. I took parts of the song because some parts didn't apply like they talked about cherry blossums and things like that, but I gave them credit. And pretty much talked about our dreams and looking forward to what the future had in store for us.

Then the master of ceremonies did his part which was nice because mine was sweet and his was funny. LOL

Just think about what nursing school means to you and go with that. =D

If you want the song just ask.

Wise Woman RN · Mar 9, 2009

Read the Florence pledge. I excerpted that for my speech... turned out pretty nice, just talked about the influence her words still have in nursing today... good luck.

inland18mempire · Mar 9, 2009

keep it short and sweet. i wouldn't recommend personal stories about each person. our speaker did that and he had to be shut down in the middle of speech because he took so long. very embarrassing and awkward

mauxtav8r · Mar 9, 2009

At our pinning, one of the better speeches was a delivery of The Desiderata. Really great.

flightnurse2b, LPN · Mar 9, 2009

congrats. enjoy that moment. it is truly a blessing. i will never forget how honored i was to give the speech at my pinning.

why don't you write something up and post it here? then we can give you some feedback. write it from your heart. i sat infront of my computer for weeks, just chipping at it.

also, if you are interested, here's a copy of my pinning speech. maybe it will help you get some ideas of what to write about. i didn't cry until i got to the very last sentence or so.... but i think that was the only time i have ever made 500 people cry at the same time.

dr. *****, mr. ******, ms. *****, nursing faculty, family, friends and of course my fellow graduate nurses, it is my absolute honor to stand here before you today.

i would briefly like to share a story with all of you this morning. eight years ago, i was a troublemaker and a lost soul who didn't know what she wanted to be when she grew up. i was a high-school drop-out serving country fried steaks at cracker barrel. each day a little old man named ***** came to sit in my section. we chatted about life and all the in-betweens over the many years i spent as a server there. i told him about how i wished for the day that i could fulfill my dreams of becoming a nurse. but ***** failed to tell me throughout all of our conversations that he was dying of esophageal cancer. a few weeks before he died, his daughter delivered a letter to me that i carry in my wallet. each time i have wanted to give up, i pull out this letter from my unlikely guardian angel. its reads: "my dear friend allison: i did not have the heart to tell you that we would no longer be seeing each other on this earth. i don't have anything to leave you but the best of luck for your future. smile at the girl in the mirror every morning and keep on smiling each day. don't ever give up on your dreams... if you stumble, get up and keep going. i have great expectations for you and you have my support. the day you graduate from nursing school, i will be there in spirit cheering you on. i will miss seeing you, but that's life, so hurry up and get on with yours. remember that kites rise against and not with the wind and that no one has ever worked their passage in a dead calm. remember me in your thoughts and on your graduation day." i have made my old friend proud today.

i have made it farther than i have ever imagined. little by little, i have climbed my way back onto the path of following my dreams to becoming a trauma nurse. god has truly blessed the broken road that has led me to this day. i proudly give this speech to you as valedictorian and class president of the graduating practical nursing class of 2008.

before i continue with my speech, i have two special items of business.

first, the class of ***** would like to extend their sincerest thanks to ****** ******* church for welcoming us into their beautiful church and sharing our pinning ceremony with us. would a member of the staff please accept this donation on behalf of our class? in planning our pinning, we as a class wanted to start a tradition that would touch the lives of another student on their journey to become a nurse. it is our hope that a tradition of a scholarship, from the graduating class to an outstanding student or students in the new senior class will continue in memory of the class of ******. in choosing our scholarship recipients, the choice was very difficult. we wish all of the ******* the best of luck in their education and future careers as nurses and wish we could have given them each a scholarship. but out of nine exceptional students, the evening nursing faculty chose two students who have shown outstanding leadership and perseverance in fulfilling their dreams of being a nurse in the face of adversity. these two students will each receive a $150 award on behalf of the class of ***** to help them as they enter their final three terms of nursing school. it is my pleasure and honor to present these awards to ***** and mrs. ******. would ***** and ****** please come up and accept these awards?

eighteen months ago, a group of strangers walked through the doors of ****. within that group, an emergency medical technician, a staff supervisor, a medical assistant, a mechanic, a stay at home mommy, a certified nurse's aide, an entrepreneur, a paralegal and a map maker. for whatever reason, on that day in april, a group of mismatched strangers came together to better and change their lives. today, that group of same strangers stands before you as graduate nurses.

to my classmates, i challenge you to embrace the future with open arms. the future belongs to those who truly believe in their dreams. today, we have made those dreams a reality. we are armed with the education, the friends and family, and the ambition to materialize our dreams. let this be the stepping stone for each one of us on our journey. with each new day, opportunities will present themselves. be happy with who you are today- but never stop imagining who you could be tomorrow. care more than others think is wise, risk more than others think is safe, dream more than others think is practical, and expect more than others think is possible. there is no need to reach high for the stars.... if we look deep inside ourselves, we will find that the stars are already within us. as nurses, each day we will touch a life, or be touched by a life. we have chosen a profession of exceptional work.... nurses are angels here on earth.

over these past eighteen months, we have learned and grown so much, as students and as individuals. we have used the knowledge from our anatomy, physiology, human development, nursing and leadership classes to care for adults and children with various conditions during our time as student nurses. but being a nurse is so much more than you can ever learn in school. no class can teach you how to cry with a patient. no class can teach you how to tell someone their parent, spouse or child has died. no professor can teach you how to find dignity in a bed bath. being a nurse is not about the pills, the iv's, and the charting. it's about being able to love people when they are at their worst moments and being able to forgive them for all their wrongs and making a difference in their lives. no one can make you a nurse... you just are.

we have each learned so much from each other. from ******, i learned that a red light doesn't always mean stop and that people in the appalachians wiggle instead of dance. from *****, i learned that you can find hello kitty on just about any item you will ever need. from *******, i learned that you can never have too many peanuts or too many oysters. from ******, i've learned the meaning of "shug". from ****, i've learned the importance of cutting my nails before clinical. from *******, i have learned that target is the happiest place on earth and that girls from **** county really do have more fun.

together we've laughed. together we've cried. there have been days we have wished to be over sooner, and days we wished never begun in the first place. we've celebrated birthdays, christmas, thanksgiving and easter together. we've scarfed down fast food in the lunch room while discussing subjects that might make an outsider nauseated. we've changed more flat tires than we can count. we have had babies. we have lost loved ones. we've endured long nights of studying and writing care plans only to wake up to a saturday morning test. we have spent long days at work only to spend long nights at clinical. we've fussed at each other like brothers and sisters. we have had the best of times and the worst of times together. but most importantly, together, we made it.

i have never been more proud of myself or the fourteen members of my school family that walked into my heart eighteen months ago. this is our day. it is the day we have been working so diligently towards. because today, my friends and my classmates, we did it. today, we are graduate nurses. congratulations, class of 2008!!!!!!!!!!

**NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN** · Mar 9, 2009

I had to write a speech after receiving highest GPA. Here's my perspective: this speech is for you and your classmates, no one else, focus on that.

My rule of thumb is all good speeches are three minutes or less, they told me I had five minutes, it ended up being two and a half.

I also believe humor should be mixed in a speech, people tend to pay attention more and enjoy it that way.

Many people thank others in their speech, while it's nice, it tends to get carried away.

You want to start with a welcome, you want to acknowledge the importance of the occasion and the work involved to get there. Mention some important and/or fun memories, and basically wish everyone luck.

You will be fine, it will come to you.

Good luck!

RJ---RN · Mar 10, 2009

As a former nursing instructor, I have given graduation/pinning speeches.

Here is a neat way to start. Get a large piece of poster board. Draw the heart beat, you know P, QRS, T Wave very large so all can see.

Hold it up then say. You know we talked about the heart, now I want to talk to you FROM the heart.

It has a really cool effect!

Then talk about how you feel from your heart about becoming a nurse.

Good luck

From a former instructor!

nickos · Mar 10, 2009

flightnurse2b said:
I would briefly like to share a story with all of you this morning. eight years ago, I was a troublemaker and a lost soul who didn't know what she wanted to be when she grew up. I was a high-school drop-out serving country fried steaks at cracker barrel. each day a little old man named ***** came to sit in my section. we chatted about life and all the in-betweens over the many years I spent as a server there. I told him about how I wished for the day that I could fulfill my dreams of becoming a nurse. but ***** failed to tell me throughout all of our conversations that he was dying of esophageal cancer. a few weeks before he died, his daughter delivered a letter to me that I carry in my wallet. each time I have wanted to give up, I pull out this letter from my unlikely guardian angel. It's reads: "my dear friend allison: I did not have the heart to tell you that we would no longer be seeing each other on this earth. I don't have anything to leave you but the best of luck for your future. smile at the girl in the mirror every morning and keep on smiling each day. don't ever give up on your dreams... if you stumble, get up and keep going. I have great expectations for you and you have my support. the day you graduate from nursing school, I will be there in spirit cheering you on. I will miss seeing you, but that's life, so hurry up and get on with yours. remember that kites rise against and not with the wind and that no one has ever worked their passage in a dead calm. remember me in your thoughts and on your graduation day." I have made my old friend proud today.

oh! here come the tears! :')