Pinning Ceremony Marks the Passage from Student to Nurse
Thursday, June 7, 2018
The group received Associate of Science degrees from BHCC’s Registered Nursing program, which prepares students for careers in nursing. Elizabeth Tobin, Director, Nurse Education Department, congratulated the newly-minted nurses and offered advice for their new careers. “Your mission for the future is to care, advocate and lead,” she said.
Students Angela Helmersen, Justin McLynch and Stephen Smith, Jr., addressed their peers and guests at Thursday morning’s ceremony. In her speech, Helmersen shared a mantra that kept her going when the pressures of the program seemed overwhelming. “Winners don’t quit and quitters don’t win,” she said. Hard work, dedication and perseverance were themes in all the students’ addresses. Another common theme was the importance of a support network. This theme was celebrated in a special way at this year’s ceremony, where graduating nurses could choose who presented them with their BHCC nurse pin. It is no surprise that many of the students chose their parents, spouses or family members who supported them while in the program.
The tradition of the nurse pinning originated in the 1860s at the Nightingale School of Nursing at St. Thomas Hospital in London. The pin of each school of nursing is unique, and only graduates of that school may wear the pin as a statement that they have completed that program. BHCC’s pin is a hexagon depicting the Bunker Hill monument.
View more photos and video from the Registered Nursing Program Pinning Ceremony on the Ceremony Highlights page.