View Nursing Pinning Ceremony Photos
Sister Barbara Battista, M.Ed., PA-C, (right) performs the Blessing of the Hands on nursing graduate Tracy Martin-Thomas.
In a time-honored tradition dating back to the 1800s, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College held its second Nursing Pinning Ceremony. The moving ceremony signifies the completion of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Graduating nurses received their pins May 6, 2016, the evening before commencement.
A nursing pin represents a badge of honor, which is worn by nurses to identify the nursing school from which they graduated. It is presented to new graduates as a symbolic welcome into this highly respected profession.
“All of you have embraced this ideal through your actions to return to college for a baccalaureate degree,” stated SMWC Director of Nursing Marcia Miller, Ph.D., R.N., in her charge to the graduates. “All of you were very successful nurses and had reached a level of comfort and confidence working in healthcare. Then somewhere within you, there was a spark of desire that motivated you to return to school … It is now your job to take it to the next level … You will build a future where patient safety is woven into the culture of care.”
The pins, symbolizing the students’ accomplishments and specifically designed for SMWC, were presented by a family member of their choice. Encircled by the words Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, the center lamp represents the lamp used by Florence Nightingale and depicts the meaning of nursing, with care and hope.
Jack Jaeger, Friend of Nursing Award recipient, with Yeijin Yeom, Ph.D., R.N., SMWC assistant professor of nursing
Surrounded by family, friends, administrators, faculty and staff, the graduates experience the ceremony as a time for celebration and reflection.
“What an incredible whirlwind the past two years have been,” remarked John Shields, student speaker at the ceremony. “Many of us returned to school to become promoted. Some of us to rise to a new personal challenge. And a few of us returned to school for the sheer joy of learning. All of us have gained new friends; we’ve all gained new perspectives.”
During the Ceremony, the “Friend of Nursing” was awarded to Jack Jaeger, director of the Rural Health Innovation Collaborative (RHIC) simulation center, as an asset to the SMWC nursing program. Jaeger was recognized for his contributions to the program through his work with students in the RHIC simulation center and his help with the summer nursing camp at The Woods.
Donna Roseberry was presented the Outstanding Senior Scholarly Project award. The project required Roseberry to partner with a mentor and identify a Performance Improvement Project within her organization. She diagramed the process, researched best practices to resolve the issue and delivered a presentation outlining the solution to the process. As a result of her capstone project, Regional Hospital in Terre Haute, Ind., is evaluating and implementing a process for training staff on suicide first aid and prevention.
Roberta Delp, D.N.P., M.S.N, A.N.P., SMWC instructor of nursing, (right) presented Donna Roseberry with the Outstanding Senior Scholarly Project award.
This spring 2016 class of nursing graduates completed the RN to BSN program through Woods Online:
- Gloria Bovenschen, Terre Haute, Ind.
- Amy Carter, Cloverdale, Ind.
- Joshua Childress, Terre Haute, Ind.
- Rachael Childress, Terre Haute, Ind.
- Brittanie Fell, Terre Haute, Ind.
- Annette Harper, Marshall, Ill.
- Nicole Johnson, Terre Haute, Ind.
- Michelle Lindsey, West Terre Haute, Ind.
- Tracy Martin-Thomas, Terre Haute, Ind.
- John Shields, Brazil, Ind.
- Brandi Vela, Terre Haute, Ind.
- Karina Wallace, West Union, Ill.
- Monica Wilkerson, Powells Point, N.C.
- Shane Wilson-White, Carbon, Ind.