Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) recently held the 2024 White Coat Ceremony in the Harvey Auditorium in the Conservatory of Music. Crystal White, DNP, FNP-C, RN and FNP program director, welcomed the Master of Nursing Class of 2025 and their friends and families that had gathered. She explained that the ceremony is a rite of passage for the SMWC students to accept the responsibility of delivering compassionate patient care. “We are assembled today to mark a very important moment in time for these nurses: the very start of their nurse practitioner clinical experiences.”
Each student stepped forward and was presented with their white coat. The students who participated in the ceremony were:
Cassandra Decker, RN
Kamryn Kikta, RN
Samantha McCoskey, RN
Eleni Miller, RN
Zachery Pino, RN
Nicole Shaughnessy, RN
Savannah Steedman, RN
Christoph Weber, RN
As the students proudly wore their newly earned white coats, White addressed the group and blessed their hands. “Throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Scriptures, there are examples of blessings being spoken over individuals who were chosen for special work and purpose. Often, these were individuals called by God to fulfill a certain role at a specific time in history in a specific place,” White said.
Marcia Miller, Ph.D., RN, and dean of the division of nursing and sciences, concluded and led the students in the Florence Nightingale Pledge that included, “With wisdom and compassion, I endeavor to be a ‘missioner of health’ in devoted service to promoting wellness of the mind, body and spirit.”