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Students in the College of Nursing read from their programs during the white coat ceremony.
Image by Bryan Clifton
BSN Students Don White Coats in UAMS College of Nursing Ceremony
| Dozens of students from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Nursing gathered Oct. 7 at the First Pentecostal Church in North Little Rock to don their white coats and mark a new phase of their education.
About 90 members of the Class of 2024 took part in the white coat ceremony, a rite of passage as they pursue their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees. Patricia Cowan, Ph.D., RN, dean of the College of Nursing, said the students can look back on their first day of classes and already see how much they’ve accomplished.
A student dons her white coat during the ceremony.Image by Bryan Clifton
“Today’s white coat ceremony emphasizes the importance of providing high-quality, compassionate care to all people,” Cowan said. “As you begin your clinical experience, your white coat serves as a visible symbol of your commitment.”
Margaret Love, DNP, APRN, clinical instructor in the College of Nursing, encouraged students to keep compassion at the center of their clinical practice.
“Going forward, your training will require you to lead with compassion, which is often a measure of your humanity,” she said. “You will be entrusted with the sanctity of human lives at the height of vulnerability and suffering.”
Love warned the students to guard against burnout and apathy, urging them to take time to disconnect and care for their mental well-being.
A student (from left) receives congratulations from Fermin Renteria, director of the BSN program; Patricia Cowan, dean of the College of Nursing; and Teresa Whited, associate dean for academic programs.Image by Bryan Clifton
Love also spoke to them about the importance of knowing their own worth. She cited the example of John Derham, who is widely credited as the first African American to formally practice medicine in the United States. He was born into slavery in 1762, and though he studied medicine as a youth, he was not allowed to obtain a degree. But Derham eventually purchased his freedom by working as a nurse, and he later opened a medical practice in New Orleans.
“Derham did not become valuable by simply becoming a physician or a nurse, but rather he was able to use the tools he possessed to put his value into action,” Love said. “Do not let your own perceived value be defined by what others think of you.”
Cowan noted that few professionals are as fortunate as nurses to be able to touch lives in a profound manner. “And we in turn are transformed by these individuals we care for,” she said. “Your kindness, compassion, advocacy and knowledge will be remembered long after patients leave your care.”
The students received their white coats after reciting the Nightingale Pledge. Fermin Renteria, DNP, APRN, director of the BSN program, closed the ceremony.