What was your Pinning Ceremony like?

Rhoresmith · Dec 28, 2004

My pinning and recognition ceremony was on December 17th at 6 pm. We used the brand new school auditorium (first group to use it) and it was very nice. We had 3 speakers and we were pinned by one of the instructors (Med/surg that we had this last (3rd) semester. Our lamps were handed out by another teacher that my class had for 2 semseters and she was very emotional. We all lit our lamps and said a nurses prayer. We had a singer who sang songs we selected and had a reception afterwards that we did fund raisers to pay for. We can participate in the graduation in May with caps and gowns if we want. My school does really well for the LPN class since that is all the graduates in December the ADN only graduates in May and there will be another LPN class then too.. All our instructors were there except one who had a family emergency. My father commented that they all looked very proud and that one of them told him that they are happy for us and yet sad that we are leaving!

So sorry that meany of you do not get anything we work so hard for this and the cermony and recogniton just renforces your sense of pride BUT even if you dont' get any ceremony you still NEED TO STAND TALL AND BE PROUD of you accomplishment because those of us on this site know how hard you worked and I am sure they will join me in applauding you (clap clap clap)

:) :coollook:

ktsrn, LPN · Dec 29, 2004

I'm not sure what we are doing for our pinning ceremony. I know it is going to be seperate from our graduation. One suggestion that was made was that remove our green school jackets and put on a white scrub jackets to signify that we are no longer students. It's a nice idea, but I'm not sure if I want to have our pinning ceremony in our scrubs.

DR2004RN · Dec 29, 2004

I am sorry to hear that some of you did not get a pinning ceremony. I was the commitee for my pinning ceremony and I still did not get my ideas across (it seemed as though one person ran the show.) I understand that pinning is symbolic of all of your hard work, and it shows your family that you have finally made it. I understand what it means to you. So get your family and friends together and celebrate your accomplishment!! Make your own ceremony don't let your school administrators dampen your spirits!! You did it! You made it this far! Good for you! Good luck to all of you as you begin your new careers!!! Congratulations!!!!

Mandylpn · Dec 30, 2004

May I please ask if all you who had the pinnings, caps, lamps, etc, and the big whoop-te-doos at your school RN students or LPN students? I just want to know if only the LPN's get jipped at my school. (I am a grad LPN). thanx :crying2:

HappyNurse2005, RN · Dec 31, 2004

May I please ask if all you who had the pinnings, caps, lamps, etc, and the big whoop-te-doos at your school RN students or LPN students? I just want to know if only the LPN's get jipped at my school. (I am a grad LPN). thanx

my school that does do pinning-i am in the RN program. the LPN's have a capping, but its done in the middle of their program, not at the end like us. i dont know if its a big deal like ours is though, b/c i dont know anyone personally in the LPN program

Fiona59 · Jan 1, 2005

We (LPN) got wore our caps to graduation and received the pins then. But we were offered the choice of caps and pins or mortarboard and gowns.

Can I just ask why so many RN's are clinging to this ceremony? The lamp and cap thing was traditional with hospital based nurse training. With all the emphasis being placed on diploma and degrees, why is the pining seen as so very important? I thought the whole thing about a degree was getting that piece of paper in the mortarboard and black gown?!

Now just think this one over before flaming me.

Nurse2B2005 · Jan 1, 2005

Hey New Grads! (or less recent grads too!)
What did you do for your pinning ceremony?
Where was it held?
What day and time?
Who was involved?
What worked well/ you would change?
I am in charge of the pinning ceremony committee for our graduating class in May. We are attempting to make some changes to the ceremony... it is usually the Sunday morning before graduation, held outside on our campus.
Last May there was a torrential rain storm and mud was everywhere. The tent where the graduates and their pinners sat was full of mud, people took their shoes off and waded in the mud to get to the platform! It was horrible and humiliating to think that after all the money spent, family members could not enjoy the ceremony... not to mention the graduates!
Our campus is beautiful... but we do not have an auditorium. We have taken our complaints/suggestions to the deans, and they are not thrilled, but we are pushing to make it a very nice, clean time!
I would appreciate any ideas... thanks!
Sandy

The school that I go to (ADN Program) does not have an official pinning ceremony, but we were told that we could put one on if we would like. The class ahead of us just graduated and they put one on, and I heard it was very nice. They had a slideshow, keynote speaker, etc.

So - I guess my class is in the process of planning ours for May 05. What to the pins look like? And where do you go about ordering them?

HappyNurse2005, RN · Jan 1, 2005

Can I just ask why so many RN's are clinging to this ceremony? The lamp and cap thing was traditional with hospital based nurse training. With all the emphasis being placed on diploma and degrees, why is the pining seen as so very important? I thought the whole thing about a degree was getting that piece of paper in the mortarboard and black gown?!
Now just think this one over before flaming me

well, im a RN student graduating and having a pinning in May, so i'll answer. first of all, we aren't doing caps at our school. The LPN's at our school do caps, so i can't answer about that. but the pins/lamps? I am very proud of my accomplishment of completing nursing school. I love that myself and my classmates will get special recognition apart from the other college graduates. in graduation ceremony, there are several hundred graduates. everyone wears the same thing. there is no distinction. I am quite excited that we get our own separate ceremony, for those of us and our families who understand what we've been through to get where we are. Our pinning is not paid for by the college, our nursing class has fundraising to pay for it. If the other majors at the college want to have their own ceremonies, then they can do that. I dont think nursing is any better than any of the other majors, they can do their own thing if they want to.

I also get the cap and gown graduation, too. the school sponsored one.

Hey, I (and my class) worked hard, and we feel we earned the special recognition ceremony, and we are paying for it. So why not?

PennyLane, RN · Jan 1, 2005

Fiona-the main reason the pinning was so important to me is because they don't have a real graduation with caps and gowns for us December grads. They conceded to our requests for a pinning ceremony, though, the first one ever for December grads.

In May, if we like, we can come back for the real commencement and graduation.

What I like about the pinning is that it sets nursing apart from other degrees. I have a BS in another subject, and we did the traditional cap and gown thing. Because nursing is so different from other areas of study, it was neat to get a pin.

ibmissy · Jan 2, 2005

I graduated Dec 19th as an LPN. We had the ceremony at a ballroom in the marriot. They had a few guest speakers and then announced winners of different awards..(Directors, clinical excellence, etc.) We then were called up one by one to get pinned and to grab a ceramic lantern. We stood up with our lanterns and a teacher came and lit them for us, and we read a nurses pledge, then sat back down. Later we were called up one by one to get our diplomas from the campus director and get a rose from one of our teachers.

The ceremony was actually nice. The pins we had to pay for ourselves. I couldn't afford the $30 silver one my school was selling. I tried a nursing uniform shop and they did not have any LPN pins..so I went to joanne fabrics, found some nursing buttons and a bag of pins and hotglued a Caduceus button on the pin for $4. Hahaha. When I saw how nice the pins were the school sold, I was a bit upset though..I regret not buying one.

allnurses Guide · Jan 2, 2005

Our pinning was separate from graduation as we graduated with the whole college.

We organized it ourselves. The biggest issue was whether to wear white uniforms or just dressy regular clothes. Regular clothes won out.

We had it at the Elks Lodge on the river. Very pretty. We had 3 of our fellow grads play guitar and sing. We chose our own "pinner". Mine was my daughter who was 9 years old at that time. We also picked out our own pin. ibmissy - I like your idea.

We had a speaker - one of the sub teachers that we all loved! At the end we lit a candle that went from student to student.

The administrator tried to dissuade us and each class from pinning saying it was unprofessional. She also tried to dissuade the teachers from attending. 3 teachers still attended.

It was nice to have something separate from the other graduates.

steph

PennyLane, RN · Jan 2, 2005

The ceremony was actually nice. The pins we had to pay for ourselves. I couldn't afford the $30 silver one my school was selling. I tried a nursing uniform shop and they did not have any LPN pins..so I went to joanne fabrics, found some nursing buttons and a bag of pins and hotglued a Caduceus button on the pin for $4. Hahaha. When I saw how nice the pins were the school sold, I was a bit upset though..I regret not buying one.

I wish my school offered $30 pins. Our sterling silver pin was over $100, and was the cheapest option.