being told we can't have a pinning ceremony

Published

just wanted some thoughts on this, my class has been told that we are not going to have a pinning ceremony and will not be allowed to have one based on the idea that it is degrading to women given its history. I have spent some time trying to find out more on the history and also in what way it would be degrading.

The other students in my class are also upset by this, it seems like such a meaningful way to bring our schooling to an end and embrace our new lifes as nurses.

If any current nurses or other students could present some thoughts on its purpose, if you feel its degrading and possibly why if you feel like sharing, or if anyone can point me in a direction to finding out more on the history and where the idea of degrading may come in. I know that my classmates and I would greatly appreciate any information we can represent to the director and see what we can do to make our senior banquet special and meaningful.

Thanks!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The school administration just doesn't want to be bothered with it and have made up an excuse to axe the program. My daughter's school would not have had a ceremony if the class leaders had not busted their butts and done all of the preparation because the school itself did diddly squat to see that the ceremony came about. She was angry at the school but was glad that those who worked hard to have the ceremony made the effort.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Pinning ceremonies originated in hospital-based diploma schools, where the pinning ceremony was the graduation ceremony. Now that most nursing programs are college-based, the nursing students' graduation ceremony is the main school commencement exercise for all the graduates, and more and more schools are balking at the idea of spending money and showing the nursing students what they perceive as special treatment by having an additional, special ceremony. College administrators are particularly irked by the sizeable number of nursing students who attend the pinning ceremony but skip the college commencement (I know this from conversations in the community college and BSN programs in which I've taught). Much as I treasure the memories and traditions of the pinning ceremonies at my diploma school (long, long ago), I can see the argument that commencement is the graduation ceremony at colleges and universities, and the pinning ceremony is redundant.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Except that other professions don't wear a pin denoting their school, which is a thing of pride. It sets the nurse apart, even though most of us don't wear them (my catch was always coming loose, and I wear scrubs now). I don't consider a nursing degree as being the same as most other degrees; it means that you are qualified to have other people's lives directly in your hands. (Yes, I know other professions deal with life and death. But bridges and business and math are a little more removed from the situations we face.)

It was during the pinning ceremony that we took the Nightengale oath; to do no harm! How many other professions outside of health care take professional oaths?

Push for the pinning ceremony! Organize it yourselves. Choose and buy your own pins outside the school if you need to. Get the student nurse's association to take it on. Get Sigma Theta Tau (international nursing honor society) to sponsor you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Except that other professions don't wear a pin denoting their school, which is a thing of pride. It sets the nurse apart, even though most of us don't wear them (my catch was always coming loose, and I wear scrubs now). ... It was during the pinning ceremony that we took the Nightengale oath; to do no harm! How many other professions outside of health care take professional oaths?

As you note, most nurses no longer wear their pins even if they have them, and many of the newer nursing programs don't have a "school pin."

An increasing number of schools don't use the Nightingale Pledge, which many of us do consider demeaning and offensive (in its outdated language and view of the role of the nurse). Take a look at some of the existing threads here about the Nightingale Pledge ...

The original point of the pinning ceremony was that it was the school putting its final "stamp of approval" (in the form of the school's unique pin) on you before sending you out into the world -- if students choose their own pins, and stage their own "pinning ceremony," it's meaningless -- the same as if students put on their own commencement ceremony.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It would have meaning to those who put effort into it and participated. Meaning to the participants is what the pinning ceremony is supposed to be all about anyway.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, ICU, Medsurg.

oh boy this is a controversary that my class is facing also. Last year we wanted a pinning when we graduated LPN because a lot of our classmates wouldn't be joining us or wouldn't make it through RN year. The school balked us. We had one anyway, no school association, after graduation so we technically weren't "students", took the patches off our whites and planned it all ourselves. Our teachers weren't allowed to attend per administration so we go another RN we knew to pin us and welcome us to the profression.

This year we asked our instructors about it and were told the same thing. No pinning ceremony. Our instructor has fought to even plan it herself and take responsibility and still a no-go. Since we are in a community college system, apparently the main campus wants control and wants all campuses at one ceremony but no one up there will take the bull by the horns and do it. So we don't know where we stand with it this year. Looks like we may have to have a "secret" one again. I am glad to hear that we are not the only school that doesnt have one.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I love the idea of having a "do-it-yourself" ceremony and banquet. I am thinking way ahead, but if my school doesn't put one on, I think it would be a wonderful idea to invite everyone to a restaurant, buy some sort of commemorative pin, and say the oath! I don't think it is as degrading to women as it is to men! I'm sure you can rile some sort of commaraderie and YES, it will be special to everyone who attends. Dutch treat, of course, but shouldn't you do something special to mark the occasion of all the hard work you've done? I think so.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in IMCU.

Taking a pledge is one thing...taking the Nightingale pledge is NOT for me. Purity...God...aid the physician? Not a professional oath as far as I am concerned.

As for pinning? No thanks. I would rather have a professional commencement ceremony only.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro.

My school is planning one but it's being organized by the students. I am not going through commencement because it's hours and hours and hours long. Buying the stuff through the school is insanely expensive though. Fifty to one hundred and fifty for a pin? No thanks. Then they want to charge for pics for a wall photo of the graduates. I also plan on declining the nightingale pledge.

I am mainly doing it for family so they can celebrate. Oh, and I like a good reason to party.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

thank you all for the input...with our program we end in august and so we don't even get to attend a school sponsored commencement unless we choose to come back the following may and walk with whoever is walking at that time. We are also responsible for setting up our own senior banquet which is our only cause for celebration (unless you count the after party) so I will talk to my class and maybe go with the "do-it-yourself" mode. I have read the Nightingale pledge which is outdated, and I have heard of schools that wrote their own pledges which may appropriate given that we will most likely hold this on our own.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in IMCU.

Take the version of the hippocratic oath used by doctors and adjust it for nursing...simple.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion