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

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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!

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 ;)

Yes, a flower pinned to a gown is different..But the thing is my ceremony was feminine..You can argue all you want saying this was probably a unisexed ceremony but as a man, I KNOW this was a female based ceremony and it felt feminine..It is like when you know you are putting on panty hose, that was the feeling..And the flower we had to carry for a long period of time, was girly white..

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.
Yes, a flower pinned to a gown is different..But the thing is my ceremony was feminine..You can argue all you want saying this was probably a unisexed ceremony but as a man, I KNOW this was a female based ceremony and it felt feminine..It is like when you know you are putting on panty hose, that was the feeling..And the flower we had to carry for a long period of time, was girly white..
Not really disagreeing with ya there mano.

Just agreeing with what Karen said :)

Our pinning ceremony was different from our graduation ceremony and we had good input from both the guys and the gals. I still recommend that you let your school know about your feelings in a nice diplomatic letter :)

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Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.

My diploma nursing school has been graduating classes for 104 years. Very tradition based; both girls and guys wore all white. Nursing caps had the one solid stripe all the way around and we carried one single rose and guys had a rose pinned to their lapel. It was a beautiful ceremony and I was very proud to be a part of it.

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on our pinning, we all had to wear white. And we were given a white rose after we were pinned...girls and guys...oh wait! I forgot I was the only guy to graduate. hehe. It really wasn't such a big deal to me. I just tossed my rose to my wife as I walked.

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Not that I'll walk, but if given a choice, I would be dressed in my homely white student uniform, spackled with my choice of scented bodily fluids (you could pick your theme! GI bleed? Too much Ducolax? GSW blood, or maybe just a kid that yurked up too much Chuckie Cheese?) oh, and instead of a candle, holding a flaming laryngoscope. The commentary could be provided from a paramedic (or ER doc) that curses at you frequently.

And at the end, you go down a KY slip'n'slide, and start your first shift as a GN right then... On Christmas Day. lol

I'm glad for those of you that have cherished your graduation day - it REALLY is special, and I know some of you have had experience in the field before your clinicals.

I'm just trying to keep it real, and make it a little funny.

Good luck keeping those uniforms clean :)

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I would've opted out for sure. Regardless of who was involved in the planning, common sense says both nursing genders will partake in the ceremony. That planning seriously lacked critical thinking.

And the more I learn about Nightingale the less I respect her. She was a pompous, entitled, racist person that got things done largely because of family connections. I now make the pledge that I will never light a candle or recite anything on her behalf. ;)

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
I would've opted out for sure. Regardless of who was involved in the planning, common sense says both nursing genders will partake in the ceremony. That planning seriously lacked critical thinking.

And the more I learn about Nightingale the less I respect her. She was a pompous, entitled, racist person that got things done largely because of family connections. I now make the pledge that I will never light a candle or recite anything on her behalf. ;)

Regardless of her personality or her connections, she did get things done. Name another wealthy woman of that day who decided to trudge around a battlefield all day and night, caring for wounded soldiers?

I have to be honest. It wouldn't have been me.

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Regardless of her personality or her connections, she did get things done. Name another wealthy woman of that day who decided to trudge around a battlefield all day and night, caring for wounded soldiers?

It's been documented that Nightingale spent very little if any at all time on the battlefield. In fact, writers following Florence's life during the Crimeal War noted Mary Seacole, the 'black Nightingale,' was the one that spent time on the battlefield, and for both sides of the war campaign. How's that for diversity and care for human kind! It was the military commanders that asked for Mary's help. Seacole wanted to meet Florence and attempted on many occasions but was always snubbed by Florence. Mary eventually opened a hotel in area to fund her efforts to help the troops. Way to show your colors Florence! :madface:

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

We wore our nursing uniforms. The females were handed a long-stemed rose and the two guys got a rose bloom boutinniere pined on our uniform.

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boy, this brings back all sorts of memories.

graduation: girls wore white dresses.

many hemmed them sev'l inches above their knee.

i kept mine mid-calf.

girls wore circa 1900 nsg caps.

guys wore white slacks, white shirt.

girls received 1 long stemmed red rose.

guys had a red rose boutonniere pinned on them.

i had more of an issue w/the girls wearing mini dresses.

as an aside, one time i brought a bouquet of flower for my fil.

understand, he's an abrasive, cranky beast of a person.

when i brought the flowers downstairs to his little hideaway, he literally barked at me, "flowers aren't for guys: they're for sissies!!!!"

i set the vase down in front of him, kissed him on the forehead and went upstairs.

minutes later, i returned downstairs to tell him something.

i found him re-arranging the flowers, ensuring blessed perfection.

i quietly went back upstairs. he never knew i saw him.

so for all you guys that find flowers so darned girly, enjoy them for what they are....a beautiful, short-lived, God-given gift. :balloons:

bala, i'm sorry your ceremony was anything less than perfect.

leslie

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Yeah... that stuff comes with the territory. Our clinical uniform made us look like hairy, overgrown girlscouts. As for the graduation flower, everybody had a rose, but for myself and the one other guy we got one of those little lapel pin rose things (like guys wear to the prom)... better than having to carry a flower.

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Yeah... that stuff comes with the territory. Our clinical uniform made us look like hairy, overgrown girlscouts. ....

laughing... :lol2: ****DEAD***

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