New Nurses are Welcomed into the Profession at Husson University Pinning Ceremony
Published on: May 4, 2023
BANGOR, MAINE – Husson University’s School of Nursing announced today that they will be holding a pinning ceremony honoring the graduates of their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs. The ceremony will take place on Friday, May 5, 2023 at 2 p.m. at Husson’s Newman Gymnasium in Bangor.
This year’s keynote speaker will be Maine State Representative Anne Perry. She has served the community as a family nurse practitioner. Her work at Calais Regional Medical Services improved the health of uncounted patients.
“Anne’s work as a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services has had a significant impact on the quality of healthcare here in Maine,” said Dr. James Nash, dean of the College of Health and Pharmacy at Husson University.
“Issues, processes and legislation addressed by her committee have included health and medical data; MaineCare, Medicaid, and Medicare Part D; mental health services; child care; public health and disease control; prescription drugs; health care facilities and their health care workforce; substance abuse; home and community-based long-term care; aging, elderly and disability issues; maternal and infant health; nursing facilities and residential care,” continued Nash. “I can think of no one more qualified to talk to our students about what it means to serve the community than Anne.”
“Undergraduate and graduate nursing students are symbolically welcomed into the nursing profession as part of the pinning ceremony. The nursing pins presented to the students show that they earned their degrees from Husson University’s School of Nursing,” said Dr. Valerie Sauda, chief nurse administrator, director of undergraduate nursing, and associate professor in Husson University’s College of Health and Pharmacy. “The ceremony is considered a time-honored nursing school tradition.”
“During the pinning ceremony, graduating nurses are presented with their BSN or MSN nursing pins,” said Dr. Annette DeRoche, the director of the graduate nursing program and an assistant professor in the University’s School of Nursing. “Nurses cherish the meaning of the pinning ceremony. It is a combined celebration of their accomplishments and eagerness, as they anticipate the next steps in their new role within the nursing profession”
As part of the ceremony, graduate nurses and registered nurses (RNs) receiving a higher degree will be asked to recite a pledge based on an oath originally created by Florence
Nightingale[1], a renowned nurse and the founder of the first secular professional training school for nurses.[2]
“A pinning ceremony is an acknowledgement by our faculty that a student is ready to fulfill the requirements of being a nurse,” said Nash. “It’s an important career milestone where students are recognized as elite members of a select community dedicated to healing others.”
History of the Pinning Ceremony:
The pinning ceremony has been a part of Husson University’s nursing school tradition since 1986 when the first class of BSN students graduated. This rite of passage can be traced back to the Crusades of the 12th century. During this time, the Knights of the Order of the Hospital of St. John the Baptist tended to injured and infirm Crusaders. When new monks were initiated into the order, they vowed to serve these sick soldiers in a ceremony where each monk was given a Maltese cross, the first badges given to those who nurse.[3]
The modern ceremony dates back to the 1860s, when Florence Nightingale was awarded the Red Cross of St. George in recognition for her tireless service to the injured during the Crimean War. To share the honor, she in turn presented a medal of excellence to her brightest graduates. By 1916, the pinning of new graduates was a standard practice throughout the U.S.[4]
The Pledge:
I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully.
I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug.
I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling.
With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.
More about Maine State Representative Anne Perry:
Representative Anne C. Perry is a member of the Maine State House of Representatives. She represents District #9 which includes Baileyville, Baring Plantation, Calais, Eastport, Grand Lake Stream Plantation, Passamaquoddy Indian Township, Meddybemps, Perry, Pleasant Point Voting District, and Robbinston.
Representative Perry is a retired family nurse practitioner who worked at Calais Regional Medical Services. She is serving her eighth non-consecutive term in the House, where she is currently the chair of the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee.
Representative Perry previously served in the Maine Legislature from 2003-2010, and was House chair of the Joint Standing Committees on Insurance and Financial Services as well as Health and Human Services.
She is a member of the St. Croix Area Rotary Club, a board member of Northern Light Health Systems, a board member of the Regional Medical Center at Lubec and a past president of the Maine Nurse Practitioner Association.
Representative Perry holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Southern Maine and a master’s in nursing from Husson University.
More about Husson University:
Husson University’s School of Nursing provides the advanced knowledge students need to become caring professionals dedicated to meeting the health needs of all people. Graduates help patients achieve their maximum health potential. Nurses comprise the largest component of the expanding healthcare sector[5], providing opportunities for individuals who seek one-on-one relationships with patients to executive positions in the health industry, from mental health nurses to primary care.
Students can choose to enroll in an undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. The undergraduate program is a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree that’s available on campus. The University also offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program online with a choice of adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AGAC-NP), family nurse practitioner (FNP), and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) options.
Students can also earn post-master's certificates in these areas. Additionally, there are executive nursing business management and nursing global health certificate options.
The School of Nursing is just one of several schools that are a part of Husson University’s College of Health and Pharmacy. Others include the School of Physical Therapy, the School of Occupational Therapy and the School of Pharmacy.
The facilities at Husson University include a state-of-the-art nursing simulation learning center with lifelike manikins that give aspiring nurses the opportunity to practice their skills, a cadaver dissection lab, excellent library resources and wireless computer access.
For nearly 125 years, Husson University has shown its adaptability and strength in delivering educational programs that prepare future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent a superior value in higher education. The hallmarks of a Husson education include advanced knowledge delivered through quality educational programs. According to an analysis of tuition and fees by U.S. News & World Report, Husson University is one of the most affordable private colleges in New England. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu.
[1] Wikipedia, “Nightingale Pledge” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightingale_Pledge, Accessed 5/4/23
[2] Wikipedia, “Florence Nightingale,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Nightingale, Accessed 5/4/23
[3] Lapel Pins and Coins, “the History of Nursing Pins,” https://lapelpinsandcoins.com/blog/history-of-nursing-pins/, Accessed 5/4/23.
[4] Walden University, “The History of the Pinning Ceremony: A Nursing School Tradition,” https://www.waldenu.edu/programs/nursing/resource/the-history-of-the-pinning-ceremony-a-nursing-school-tradition, Accessed 5/4/23.
[5] American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Nursing Fact Sheet, https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/Nursing-Fact-Sheet, Accessed 5/4/23