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Nursing students honored in white coat and blessing of the hands ceremony

Nursing students honored in white coat and blessing of the hands ceremony

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Nursing students in their nursing scrubs giving a thumbs up to the camera at the white coat ceremony.

Image: (Photos by John Froschauer/PLU)

September 16, 2021
By Zach Powers '10
PLU Marketing and Communications

First-year nursing majors and entry-level Masters of Nursing Science students were honored yesterday in the Regency Room at a white coat and blessing of the hands ceremony.

“We’re at an historic moment in time when we need courageous and compassionate young leaders to lean into the critical work of nursing,” said Professor Barbara Habermann, who serves as dean of the School of Nursing. “These students have a great deal of learning and growing ahead of them, and it was our honor to celebrate the commencement of this journey with them today.”

The PLU School of Nursing was selected by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing as a recipient of the 2021 Gold-AACN White Coat/Oath Ceremony for Nursing grant. Funding from that award made yesterday’s ceremony possible. 

The gold lapel pins students received included a signature Gold loop, which represents the essential bond between clinicians and patients. The ceremony also included the blessing of the hands, a PLU nursing tradition prior to students beginning work in clinical settings. University Pastor and four faculty volunteers performed the blessings.