Newman University recognized 26 candidates for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at the Fall 2014 Nurses’ Pinning ceremony, held Dec. 12 on the Newman campus.
The event is a tradition in the nursing discipline that dates back approximately 130 years in the United States. At Newman, the director of nursing 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.
The Fall 2014 nursing degree candidates included 23 who completed the Newman traditional BSN program, and three students who completed the RN-to-BSN Completion program.
The ceremony included a brief address by Director of Nursing Teresa Vetter, M.S.N. Vetter referred to a 2010 report on the future of nursing, which calls for nurses to take an active role in transforming healthcare.
“You each possess the ability to transform society – to transform healthcare,” Vetter said. “As you enter this profession and work alongside your peers, remember to look to the future; be a leader, strive for quality and safety, and be a life-long learner.”
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 2014 award was bestowed upon Sarah Durrett of Augusta, Kan. Durrett is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International nursing honor society, and was involved in many volunteer activities while pursuing her degree.
The BSN candidates for Fall 2014, listed by hometown, are:
Andale, Kan.
Richelle Carlin
Andover, Kan.
Bailey Stallbaumer
Augusta, Kan.
Sarah Durrett*
Derby, Kan.
Tiffany Mahoney
Aurora Milner
Erika Van Zyl#*
Douglass, Kan.
Kelsey Stone
Garden Plain, Kan.
Lindsay Keimig
Haysville, Kan.
Shannon Dameron
Katie Lawski*
Netawaka, Kan.
Alysia Heideman
Ogden, Kan.
Wendy Howland#
Park City, Kan.
Olivia Nugroho
Wichita, Kan.
Quincey Barnard
Nicole Crites
Kaley Donelan
Todd Guggisberg
Sarah Haverfield
Lucia Hernandez
Annjanette Nickel#
Jamely Olaechea
Cole Relph
Kaitlin Warnke
Brian Wilhite
Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Jordan DeBoer
Pleasant Hill, Mo.
Danielle Cobb
# Denotes students who earned their degrees through the RN to BSN Completion program
