Newman University recognized 20 candidates for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at the annual Nurses’ Pinning ceremony held Dec. 11.
The event is a tradition in the nursing discipline that dates back approximately 130 years in the United States. At Newman, the director of the School of Nursing and Allied Health places nursing pins on graduate candidates’ lapels as a symbol of their completion of the baccalaureate of science in nursing (BSN) program. The Newman pin is unique to the university, and was designed by the first graduating BSN class at what was then Kansas Newman College.
In a brief address during the ceremony, Director of the Newman School of Nursing and Allied Health Bernadette Fetterolf, Ph.D. thanked graduates, faculty and staff for the part they played in the school’s recent state re-approval and national accreditation process. The school must undergo the accreditation process every 10 years. She also urged graduates to remember the values as well as the technical information that was included in their curriculum as they begin their professional careers.
“You are embarking on a nursing career at a time of unprecedented challenges for the healthcare system,” Fetterolf said. “We encourage you to be active politically and professionally in protecting the sanctity of life and the human dignity of every person within your care. The values and professional attributes imbedded in your education will serve you well in the time ahead.”
The ceremony concluded with the naming of the Distinguished BSN Graduate Award. The award is given to a graduating nursing student who has a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average and demonstrates an exceptional commitment to the nursing profession and involvement in the Newman and greater Wichita communities. The Fall 2009 award was bestowed upon Christine Pham.
The BSN candidates for Fall 2009 are:
Christine Pham of Wichita, center, received the Newman University Fall 2009 Distinguished BSN Graduate Award. With Pham are Director of the Newman School of Nursing and Allied Health Bernadette Fetterolf, Ph.D., left, and Newman President Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D.Wichita
Trenika Broussard
Stacie Cox-Coke
Jessica Forster
Nabinta Gurung
Amber Haylor
Kelli Kurtz
Nancy Makundi
Lisa Nguyen
Victoria Nguyen
Christine Pham
Jacklyn Salinas
Sandra Schopplein
Jaylin Sims
Christina Thongphanh
Elizabeth Van Pelt
Lindsey Wolke
Reuben Worford
Cheney
Abigail Compton
Hutchinson
Cody Jenkins
Flora Vista, N.M.
Julianne Lane
