Adelphi Hosted Its First Annual Gold-AACN White Coat Ceremony for Nurses
Nearly 90 Adelphi University nursing students received their first white coats.
Garden City, NY, December 18, 2015 (Newswire.com) - On Friday, October 23, 2015, nearly 90 Adelphi University nursing students stood on the stage of the Thomas Dixon Lovely Ballroom of the Ruth S. Harley University Center to receive their own white coat as part of Adelphi’s first annual First Annual Gold-AACN White Coat Ceremony. The event marks the transition from the student’s general education to their clinical education and in many respects represents the beginning of their careers in healthcare.
Jane White, Ph.D., associate dean of the College of Nursing and Public Health, delivered the keynote address for the event. White reminded the students that “nursing is a privilege,” and pointed out the tremendous trust placed in them by patients. “Patients value nurses and remember their compassion,” said White. “Nursing is described as the most trusted profession in healthcare,” she added.
After White spoke, the students were called up individually by name to have their coat placed on them by a member of the faculty. The students all proudly stood up while wearing their coat, and collectively recited an oath that completed the ceremony.
Patrick Coonan, dean of the Adelphi College of Nursing and Public Health spoke in detail about the ceremony and responsibility of being a nurse. “We want them to wear the white coat so they really think about what they’re doing,” said Coonan. “They’re not going into just any profession, nurses care for people, they need to be compassionate and empathetic, and that white coat is a constant reminder that that’s what they need to be.”
Students receiving their white coats were elated about the honor that signals their lifelong commitment to the healthcare field and advancement. For Tyler Wray-Harvey and Kaitlyn Guarneri of Valley Stream, this moment was more than just a simple ceremony. Wray-Harvey comes from a family of nurses, and to him this represented his chance to follow in their footsteps. “After this I’ll feel like I’ll be even closer to them,” he said. Meanwhile for Guarneri this day is a literally a dream come true. “My goal was to get my own white coat before I turned 30, so I’m excited to be getting it at 24,” she said.
Coonan believes that this ceremony truly represents the full realization of their decision to study nursing. “They come to college and spend two years doing nothing relating to nursing, and now they move into a world where they actually get to take care of people,” said Coonan. “And the ceremony really gives them a symbol of that change.”
Sponsored by the Arnold T. Gold Foundation and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Adelphi’s first annual Gold-AACN White Coat Ceremony was one of only 60 ceremonies hosted at a school of nursing this year. While White Coat Ceremonies have been hosted by medical schools for over 20 years, last year the APFG-AACN program marked the first time a coordinated effort had been developed to host comparable events at schools of nursing.
For more information about Adelphi’s College of Nursing and Public Health, visit http://nursing.adelphi.edu/.