Pinning ceremony marks MC School of Nursing students’ transition to full-time practice

School of Nursing graduates receive pins emblematic of their transition to healthcare practitioners.

Mississippi College School of Nursing students who will soon graduate from the University will be formally welcomed into the nursing profession during a pinning ceremony scheduled for 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12, in Provine Chapel.

“This ceremony marks a transition period for our students in moving from their role as student and into their nursing practice,” said Jordan Owen, instructor in the MC School of Nursing and coordinator of senior-semester students.

Forty-five students are anticipated to participate in the ceremony, a majority of whom have secured jobs post-graduation.

Lisa Eichelberger, interim dean of the MC School of Nursing, said the nursing pin originates from the Maltese Cross, carried as a symbol of service to Christ during the Crusades. The large cross became a much smaller pin worn by those working to heal the sick and dying in various orders.

“In modern times, Florence Nightingale designed and awarded pins to the graduates of the first School of Nursing in England at the completion of their nursing education, and the tradition spread,” Eichelberger said. “The pin has the graduate’s name or initials on the back and will often tell you the name of the university, the degree and university motto.

“Many students will tell you the pinning ceremony means more to them than their graduation ceremony.”

Emma Cason, a fourth-semester student from Hernando who is set to receive her Bachelor of Science in Nursing during MC’s Winter Commencement on Dec. 13, considers the ceremony to be a long-awaited answered prayer.

“My family and I have been waiting for this day of recognition for all the blood, sweat, tears, sacrifices and hours that have been poured into this amazing profession,” Cason said. “This day is also a bittersweet ending. After surviving and excelling in nursing school, being able to experience this special occasion will be a very sweet day.”

In addition to the distinctive nursing pin, each graduating senior-semester student will receive a yellow rose, an emblem firmly rooted in the MC School of Nursing. Roses were presented to members of the first graduating class of nurses more than 50 years ago, and they have remained a tradition championed by Susan Richardson, a member of that original class, and nursing alumni ever since.

MC Provost Michael Highfield will offer an invocation and Lisa Eichelberger, the school’s interim dean, will give the ceremonial address. Cason and fellow student Lorie Harless will perform a song, “Where Can I Go – Psalm 139” by Ellie Holcomb, taken directly from Scripture.

“This song and scripture have been the anthem for all of nursing school,” Cason said. “Nursing school is the hardest thing I have ever done, and I would not have been able to do it without God. Where I have been weak, He has been my stronghold.

“This psalm is a testament that the Lord knows and loves His children intimately. There hasn’t been a single moment that the Lord hasn’t been sovereign over nursing school. This song praises God for who He is and the result of salvation, an eternal intimate relationship with Him who created the universe.”

Recipients of nursing awards and honors also will be recognized during the ceremony. School of Nursing faculty will perform a Blessing of the Hands, consecrating each student into the ministry of nursing. The graduates will recite the MC School of Nursing Creed and a benediction will conclude the ceremony.