USI to hold first-ever White Coat Ceremony for nursing students

The University of Southern Indiana's nursing program is one of 60 schools of nursing nationwide selected to receive funding support through the Arnold P. Gold Foundation (APGF) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) to host a White Coat Ceremony. This ceremony, which emphasizes the importance of providing compassionate care, will officially welcome and initiate 132 junior nursing students at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 25, in Mitchell Auditorium in the Health Professions Center. The event is for students and invited guests only.

"The white coat is symbolic of the practicing professional. Although White Coat Ceremonies have been conducted by medical schools for more than 20 years, this is only the second year that nursing programs across the country have held this event," said Dr. Ann White, dean of the USI College of Nursing and Health Professions. "This is an historic event for USI since it will be the first-ever White Coat Ceremony for nursing students on this campus. We are holding this ceremony at the beginning of our academic year, prior to the students entering their first clinical course, to reinforce the importance of providing patient-centered care."

During the White Coat Ceremony, which typically consists of the recitation of an oath and the cloaking of each student in a white coat, students will be given a specially-designed pin that serves as a visual reminder of their oath and commitment to providing high quality care. USI has invited three nurse executives to speak who represent area acute care institutions that support students in their clinical rotations: Cherona J. Hajewski, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Deaconess Health System; Darcy A. Ellison, Senior Vice President Clinical Operations and Chief Nursing Officer at St. Mary's Health;and Tonya Heim, Vice President Patient Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center in Jasper.

"We are blessed to have excellent facilities in this region that exemplify the values of humanistic, compassionate patient care and improve patient outcomes," said White. "Our students learn from the staff who model the role of the professional nurse. Without the support of our local hospitals, we could not graduate nurses who value and embed care in their work."