Bachelor of Science in Nursing Department

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

White Coat Ceremony: Celebrating the start of the clinical rotations by participating in a White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage that is shared by many medical professions including medical, optometry, dental, and nursing, among other health care professions. The School of Nursing and Health Professions joined the Arnold P. Goldman Foundation’s initiative to increase the participation of nursing schools across the United States in White Coat Ceremonies for pre-licensure nursing students. According to the Arnold P. Goldman Foundation, the White Coat Ceremony “he cloaking with the white coat—the mantle of the medical profession—is a hands-on experience that underscores the bonding process. It is personally placed on each student’s shoulders by individuals who believe in the students’ ability to carry on the noble tradition of a medical profession. It is a personally delivered gift of faith, confidence and compassion.”

Our White Coat Ceremony tradition began at USF in the fall 2014 term, when we joined the national initiative to be in the first 100 nursing schools to embrace the ceremony. In the spring 2015 term, we invited our BSN, MSN entry, and Korean exchange students to participate in the ceremony. Beyond the cloaking of the white coat and the reciting of the Nightingale Pledge, each participant had their hands anointed with oil by our faculty. This ceremony and blessing of hands marks the transition into learning the art of health care as a future nurse. Looking ahead, the School of Nursing and Health Professions will host a White Coat Ceremony each term for our students starting clinicals.