For the first time since the the pandemic began, the Department of Nursing was able to hold the pinning ceremony in person. On Saturday December 18, 2021 the ceremony took place for the graduating Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (A-BSN) Cohort 3, Class of 2021.
The history of the pinning ceremony dates to the 12th century when the Crusaders were cared for by the Knights of the Order of the Hospital of St. John the Baptist. When new monks entered the order, they vowed to serve the sick soldiers in a ceremony during which each monk was given a Maltese cross badge.
The modern ceremony started in the 1860s, when Queen Victoria awarded Florence Nightingale, the founder of professional nursing, the Red Cross of St. George to recognize her service as a military nurse during the Crimean War (1853-1856). To share the honor, Nightingale later presented medals of excellence to her brightest nursing students.
In 1916, the pinning ceremony became standard practice for new graduates in the United States as a way of welcoming them into the nursing profession. While it was once only given to outstanding students, today it includes all students who successfully complete their nursing education.
CSUN A-BSN Cohort 3 enrolled in the program amid the pandemic and adjusted well to circumstances by adapting to virtual instruction and in person laboratory practice sessions that were changed back to virtual mode as Los Angeles County Dept. of Health modified COVID-19 prevention guidelines. After overcoming the situational encounters, the students and proud parents had every reason to celebrate the successful completion of the academic requirements of the curriculum.
The program started with congratulatory consecutive video messages from CSUN President Erika Beck, and Mary Beth Walker, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Rebekah Child, Chair of CSUN Nursing.
Jon Christensen, keynote speaker; addressed the students by bringing up incidences from his nursing career and pointing out the importance of delivering compassionate nursing care to the patients who are in their most vulnerable state of health. Patrick Hang, class representative, addressed his fellow classmates by reflecting through the memory lane and pointing out the challenges and the collective accomplishments. Two students Patrick Hang and Edelis Diaz received Service and Leadership Awards and Racheal Barrios received Academic Achievement Award.
Eighteen students were inducted to Sigma Honor Society. CSUN (together with CSUCI and UCLA) is the Gamma Tau Chapter at Large of Sigma. Students need to have 3.5 GPA and demonstrate academic integrity and leadership abilities and be in good standing all through the program to be considered for initiation. Nursing faculty Rosine Der-Tavitian and Bonnie Faherty draped the inductees with the Sigma cord. Susan Opus addressed the inductees and stressed the importance of involving in clinical performance improvement projects, exploring opportunities to conduct research studies, engaging in global health and eventually contributing towards policy making.
Afterwards, the students were offered their pins. Nursing faculty members Talin Bakalian and Nicole Bauer, respectively, presented the pins and led the lamp lighting ceremony. Lamp lighting symbolizes the care Nightingale provided to the wounded soldiers by candlelight. Graduates recited the Nightingale Pledge in unison. It was my honor and pleasure to be the master of ceremonies of this event.
CSUN Nursing faculty and staff present their sincere appreciation to the members of the organizing committee and extend their heartfelt congratulations to the graduating class and wish them a successful transition into practice.
Sp 2022
Zarmine Naccashian, PhD, Associate Professor, CSUN Nursing