College of Nursing welcomes 124 future nurses with pin ceremony
The ECU College of Nursing welcomed 124 future nurses on Aug. 29 during the college’s biannual Lamp of Learning ceremony at the Brody School of Medicine.
Family members and friends smiled as students crossed the stage to receive a gold lamp pin signifying service and light during the ceremony, which serves as an official welcome to the college’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
Nursing students pin each other with a gold lamp pin during the biannual Lamp of Learning ceremony hosted by the College of Nursing on Aug. 29. (Photo by Conley Evans)
The lamp symbol, representing the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, also appears on the pin that students receive upon graduating.
During the ceremony, Dr. Sylvia Brown, dean of the College of Nursing, reminded students that nursing is a profession steeped in tradition and the pin they were receiving, as well as the pin will receive at graduation, should serve as a reminder of the traditions of nursing. These traditions include global service and care, trustworthiness and working to address all aspects of a patient’s well-being.
Brown also pointed out the ruby that serves as the flame emanating from the lamp in the College of Nursing pin.
“The ruby stands for a vibrant life,” Brown said. “Each of you are a vibrant life, and the patients that you’ll care for are a vibrant life as well.”
Students recited the college pledge, which includes promises to respect patient confidentiality, to collaborate with other health professionals, to participate in the advancement of the profession and to advocate for patients.
“I was very nervous, but I’m excited,” Hadley Coleman, a new BSN student originally from Raleigh, said after the ceremony.
Coleman said she realized she wanted to be a nurse when her father was in the hospital while she was in high school and she watched his nurses care for him.
“I wrote some of my college essays on his experience in the hospital and how that impacted me. It was a great experience,” she said.
Leonard Foster of Rocky Mount traveled to Greenville to watch his daughter Brianna receive her lamp pin.
“I’m very proud,” he said. “She worked very hard — I’ve seen the dedication, persistence, the diligence that she put toward getting this achievement. That was one of our goals to get into the College of Nursing, so it’s really good to see that happen.”
Admission to the College of Nursing’s BSN program is very competitive. In addition to meeting the university and college requirements, students’ scores on a required national pre-admission exam are taken into account along with their GPA, enrollment status and other factors. Students accepted into the program this fall had an average GPA of 3.78.
-by Natalie Sayewich, University Communications