What Happens at a Nursing Pinning Ceremony?

Nursing school is difficult. It takes long hours of studying, homework and heart-wrenching clinicals culminating, at minimum, with a 3-hour nursing board exam. Whether for LPN or RN, the pinning ceremony has been a long-held graduation tradition that signifies that you are now a full-fledged nurse. The nurse pinning ceremony dates back 1,000 years ago and began as a Maltese cross, a symbol of Christianity. Over the years, the pin became a coat of arms and eventually has morphed into a design that signifies the school from which you graduated.

First Step

• Nurses enter the ceremony wearing their traditional white uniforms. Even though many nurses nowadays don't wear the hat anymore, during the ceremony they do wear the traditional nurse's hat.

Intro

• The student nurses march in, led by their instructors, to pre-determined music usually chosen by the graduating class.

Speeches

• Speeches are given by faculty and a few select students, either those at the top of their class or often those who don't mind public speaking.

The Pinning Itself

• As each student's name is called, either the head instructor, a favorite RN or another important member of the faculty pins each student. The pin represents the diploma usually handed out at more traditional graduation ceremonies.

Candle Lighting

• It is common practice for students to each light individual candles representing one of the most well-known nurses, Florence Nightingale. This symbolizes the "passing of the flame" from Nightingale to each nurse, and they recite the nurse's pledge.

The End

• After pinning, candle lighting and recitation of the nurse's pledge, students are officially nurses. They file out still carrying their candles. They wear not only the pin but also the traditional winged medial pin, which signifies they are members of the medical community.