As the Dean of Nursing, I welcome new nursing students to our programs at Beckfield College during two of our four terms each year. To ensure I get to know each and every student, I teach the first nursing class. I don’t make things easy for them, as every quarter in the program continues to escalate in difficulty and intensity. I disclose to them how challenging it is going to be while learning about each student’s ambitions and any personal experiences that led them to the profession of nursing. I see so many students struggle to meet the demands of the intense training, but the desire to advance in the field usually wins, beating out that fear and exhaustion. These men and women want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, and I learn something from each of them. They want to care for people, providing professional and compassionate health care during all phases of the life cycle. These people make a difference in so many lives. It’s an honor to see these students evolve from Nursing 101, through clinical training and finally graduation.
There is no greater experience for a nurse educator than the Pinning Ceremony. This time-honored tradition brings together students and faculty, along with family and friends who have supported them during school. I’ve seen just about every student’s face engage in fear, frustration, denial, exhaustion, and confusion during the rigorous academic phase. It all changes at the ceremony, where confidence, excitement, and compassion rule their composure.
The pinning ceremony is the culmination of a student’s journey from education to the beginning of their professional nursing careers. Each graduate receives a unique nursing pin specific to the nursing school, along with a lamp, a traditional element in nursing dating back to
Florence Nightingale who distinguished herself during the Crimean War nursing sick and wounded British soldiers. When patients saw Ms. Nightingale’s lamp, they were assured that help was on the way.
Health care has been such a debatable topic for some time, but regardless of the outcome of our system, there will be a constant: the need for compassionate, professional and competent nurses. As Jason Gregg, a nursing faculty member here at Beckfield College noted at one of our pinning ceremonies, “There’s one thing that both sides of the health care debate can agree on – nothing is broken or will be changed without the passionate and highly trained care from nurses.” I whole heartedly agree with him.
It’s quite a responsibility being in charge of the nursing program development, academic curriculum and the many instructors that provide quality nursing education. Being a nursing educator may be heavy with responsibilities, but it is also a privilege. I am a part of a system that generates qualified, compassionate and vital members of the health care team in our country.
In the words of one of our recent nursing graduates raving about her new job, “Thank you all so much. I’m grateful for the education I had. I’m driven, but you all encouraged me, taught me and really pulled for me to succeed.” This is why I’m proud to say I’m a Dean of Nursing! Good luck to all of the many students out there focused on the great profession of nursing. I am honored to be a part of it all with you.
Author: Dean Curl, MSN, Dean of Nursing, Beckfield College