White Coat Ceremony welcomes new nursing students

On Thursday, October 17, 2019, first-semester Bachelor of Science in Nursing students participated in the White Coat Ceremony at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kansas City, Missouri.

The White Coat Ceremony was established by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation in 1993. In 2016, the National League of Nursing provided a grant to begin the program at Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences. Like the nursing cap tradition, this ceremony celebrates the new nursing student’s upcoming journey. Instead of receiving a cap, each participant receives both the iconic white coat and a Humanism Lapel Pin. The pins are provided by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

At Thursday’s ceremony, the students also received a lit candle and read the International Council of Nurses’ Pledge. The pledge instills in students the importance of patient care without regard to race, politics, or social status.

Dean of Nursing Victoria Grando, PhD spoke about the history of nursing. In her address, Dr. Grando recognized the contributions of nurses in the past and rallied students to the importance of compassionate care. She ended by saying, “You can care without cure, but you cannot cure without care.”

College staff, faculty, students, and their family and friends filled the Cathedral to near capacity to commemorate their start in nursing school and their commitment to education. A reception followed in Founder’s Hall.