Brenau University held a special white coat ceremony for its Family Nurse Practitioner and full-time Bachelor of Science in Nursing soon-to-be graduates on Saturday, Feb. 2, in Pearce Auditorium.
The Mary Inez Grindle School of Nursing holds a white coat ceremony annually for the upcoming graduates of the FNP program, but the 2019 ceremony was the first to include full-time, pre-licensure BSN seniors thanks to a $1,000 grant from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Dina Hewett, director of the Grindle School of Nursing, said this is an “incredibly special” opportunity for the BSN students.
“When I told them, a couple of them were in tears they were so excited,” Hewett said. “That’s how significant it is. Through the grant, we’re ordering everyone a white coat with the Brenau logo and their name embroidered on it.”
The ceremony featured guest speaker Brenda Simpson, chief nursing officer for Northeast Georgia Health System. All honorees received a pin from the foundation, recited an oath, signed the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics and received their white coats.
“We are honored to receive the grant through the Arnold P. Gold Foundation and AACN and excited that in addition to recognizing our FNP students, we can recognize our full-time graduating class of May 2019,” Hewett said. “This signifies their commitment to health care and fulfilling the vision of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, which is compassionate, collaborative and scientifically excellent care.”
