Required to wear all white and carry a flower during pinning cermony

Sheri257 · Jun 29, 2006

Well ... I'm female, and object to this stuff also. I DO NOT want to wear a white dress, cap, etc. to my ceremony. To me, it's absurd since they're making us pay for the graduation ... we should be able to wear whatever we want.

I seriously thinking of not going because I feel so strongly about it. I hate wearing white, and I hate wearing dresses. And I especially hate being told what to wear when I'm paying for the ceremony.

:typing

studentforlife · Jun 29, 2006

Regardless of what they make us wear, I'm out when it comes to carrying the flower. It's not homecoming. It's a ceremony that should reflect a sense of professionalism.

Sorry - that's just my opinion - I don't mean to offend anyone.

llg, PhD, RN · Jun 29, 2006

I with you, folks. It should not be a "girly" ceremony -- and it should reflect the professionalism and scholarly achievements of nursing. If I were a student today, I would be leading the fight to modernize the procedings.

Good luck to you all!

llg

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Jun 29, 2006

I just had my graduation....I felt girly because the students chose to wear all white and we had to carry a girly flower...I mean, if males dont speak up about this, it would seem that it is a female profession..Just to note, the females did plan this pinning ceremony and I know for a fact, that it had a feminine tone to it..It was suited for females and not unisexed! Now that is not fair at all!

Kinda hard to fix this problem after the fact, Bala. And yes, it does reek of sexism.

Suggest that in future everyone carry candles and get a ceremonial light from the Lamp of Learning, and wear whatever they like?

sunnyjohn · Jun 29, 2006

I'm sorry, I'm a girl, but I am not carrying any flowers at graduation. Frankly I don't understand why we can't participate in the college's graduations ceremoney then have a private professional pinning later on. Caps and a white or blue suit for those women who wish to wear them, a blue suit and a medallion for the men.

I am all for tradition, but we need to draw the line.

Nurse deal with modern heath technologies and help to implement advances in medicine. This flower power stuff dose not reflect the professionalism or depth of the career.

Florence Nightengale was a trailblazer and forward thinking women in her day. If she was around today, she would surely have "got with the program"

DONN · Jun 29, 2006

That sounds really sweet................................lol

truern · Jun 30, 2006

At our pinning we wore white "dressy" uniforms, the women wore their caps (if they chose), and we received a longstem red rose after walking across the stage. The men simply gave theirs to their "special someone". We also lit our lanterns from our neighbor's lantern and recited the Nightingale Pledge. It was solemn, professional, and awe-inspiring. I wouldn't have changed a thing.

I will say that those that chose NOT to wear their caps looked out of place and somehow naked.

Bala Shark · Jun 30, 2006

At our pinning we wore white "dressy" uniforms, the women wore their caps (if they chose), and we received a longstem red rose after walking across the stage. The men simply gave theirs to their "special someone". We also lit our lanterns from our neighbor's lantern and recited the Nightingale Pledge. It was solemn, professional, and awe-inspiring. I wouldn't have changed a thing.
I will say that those that chose NOT to wear their caps looked out of place and somehow naked.

Yes, you are a woman and I assume that you felt is was special..The flower we had to carry it and hold it for a long period of time and we did not give it to a special someone..Nightingale was in the era where probably 0% males were in nursing..And we did have to recite that also carrying the flower..Now we had to carry some girly flower..I do not know, but my impression was that it was a very feminine ceremony designed for the female race..I am a guy so I should know...And if males wore the cap in your ceremony, that is suppose to be a female cap..Females only have that cap on..

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jun 30, 2006

bala, you state students planned the event. did you participate in any of the preliminary planning? volunteers are always asked for these things.

gotta stand up for your self as professional...speaking up starts in nursing program by making your voice heard. what part of the ceremony did you help plan.... unless you added your :twocents: and they didn't listen to your concerns, chalk it up as a lesson learned. not everyone realizes men might be upset carrying a flower, most often a rose.... you could have given it to anyone in procession or to family/loved one afterwards.

my sons still kiss and hug me in public--know they can twist my arm that way too. teddy bear with school jacket was item hs grad son enjoyed most this month---along with culinary magazine and balloons. sometimes we win, other times bomb out.

did you share feelings with classmates later...may word in next class presidents ear might be helpful too for next years class.

lesson to all pinning ceremony planners: ask for input from male contingent in class.

JohnBearPA · Jun 30, 2006

I'm a male, and graduated last June, so grad is still fresh in my mind. We had to wear all white, but women could choose between a dress or pantsuit. Men were required to wear a white shirt with a collar to have our pin on, and most chose golf-style shirts. new all-white shoes or sneakers were required. We considered carrying candles, but we all had to walk down a long flight of stairs, and some of us were concerned with tripping, so that idea was axed. We had a large candle lit on the stage, in memory of a student who comitted suicide during school, which was also statd in our grad program.

Now onto the cap debate. This was voted on several times and was decided that female students would wear the caps. Most actually wanted to wear them. The guys weren't given a vote, of course, because we didn't wear them. The womens's hair was required to be "up", and make-up kept to a minimum. We also recited the nightingale pledge, and had several speakers.

We broke with tradition tho, as the usual thing was to give a dozen roses to each instructor, and our class chose to give them each a lovely potted plant instead, on the belief that it would last longer. Our class pres also said several ammusing anectdotes concerning each instructor, while requiring them to stand and be recognised. It was an amusing sight to see some of them turn scarlet during the recitation.

Our undergrads (the juniors) were required to wear the school uniform (burgundy scrubs w/ school logo embroidered on them) and man the food tables and the doors handing out programs. We included them in standing and reciting the Nightingale pledge, and also our pres gave them a few words of "wisdom" during his speech.

I thought it was a moving and beautiful ceremony, as did most of my class. We ALL voted on all aspects of the ceremony, and everyone participated. Still have it on tape, and have let some family members that couldn't be there see it, and everyone agreed it was moving. We all looked like professionals, with our white uniforms, caps, and pins. Wouldn't have changes a thing!

Roy Fokker, BSN, RN · Jul 1, 2006

Karen makes an excellent post Bala.

If nothing else, please make sure you let your feelings known to your school - they might be mroe sensitive to this issue int he future! :)

I actually had a flower pinned to my gown - the picture is there for all to see in my photo gallery here on the forum. I didn't find anything wrong in it - infact, given the choice, I'd dress like it everyday.

After all; a gentleman never steps out of home without a rose on his lapel, a hat on his head, a handkerchief in his other pocket and a handy pocketwatch to tell time by