Vaughn Sinclair, Ph.D., associate professor of Nursing and 1974 graduate of VUSN, admires the pin of her daughter, Ginny Sinclair Gardner, who completed the same program as her mother, the Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program.
photo by Kats Barry
Pins signify nursing milestone
Erin Mayfield, a graduate of the Adult Nurse Practitioner/Gerontology Specialty, walks hand in hand off the stage with her mother, Ann Mayfield, after receiving her professional nursing pin from her mother. Graduates may receive their pin from a loved one who is a nurse or nursing school graduate from anywhere in the country.
photo by Kats Barry
More than 200 Vanderbilt University School of Nursing students were recognized in a special ceremony on Sunday, receiving their professional pins of nursing for finishing the specialty program of their choice.
The designation signifies that they can now begin working as nurse practitioners.
Colleen Conway-Welch, Ph.D., Nancy and Hilliard Travis Professor and dean of the School of Nursing, welcomed a record crowd of more than 1,700 family members and loved ones to the ceremony, held at Memorial Gym.
“This is a special day that brings you into the world of advanced practice nursing,” Conway-Welch said. “I hope to see each of you back for commencement in May. You will be well launched in your careers by that time. The faculty and I wish you every success and we hold you in the palm of our hands.”
VUSN's program begins and ends in August. The pinning ceremony is a way to formally recognize students when they finish the program, however many students also choose to return to campus for Vanderbilt's official commencement celebration in the spring.
Betsy Weiner, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean for Educational Informatics, explained the meaning behind the professional pin.
“The pin of each School of Nursing is unique and only graduates of that school may wear the pin as a statement that they have completed that program,” Weiner said.
During the ceremony, students in each specialty area in the School of Nursing were recognized with awards for excellence in their area of focus: the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program recognized Claire Joiner; Carrie Plummer was honored in the Adult Nurse Practitioner Program; Sarah Halberg was the top student in Clinical Management; the Family Nurse Practitioner Program Award went to Jessica Stevens; the Health Systems Management Award was given to Melissa Travis; Joy Ivemeyer was chosen from the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Program; Emily Harvison won top honors in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program; Edie Cloyd took home the Award for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program; and in the Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Program, Tracie Doyle was the top student chosen for the specialty award.
Other awards included the Amy Frances Brown prize for excellence in writing, given to Bettina Lippert.
Her award winning paper was titled, “Use of Oral Hypoglycemic Agents in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.”
She was given a check for $100 and a certificate, and her name will appear in the University commencement program in May.
Beth Barry was named Alumni Association Award winner by her fellow classmates for her excellence in community service and leadership.
A total of 233 students completed the nursing program:
• 43 in Acute Care;
• the first five students completed the Forensic focus in the Adult Nurse Practitioner Program;
• 14 students in the Adult Nurse Practitioner/Gerontology Program;
• the Palliative Care focus in the Adult Nurse Practitioner Program had six graduates;
• 15 students completed the Adult Nurse Practitioner Program's Cardiovascular sub-specialty;
• eight students finished one of the newest programs at VUSN to graduate as Clinical Management Nurse Practitioners;
• 50 students in the Family Nurse Practitioner Program;
• four in Health Systems Management;
• 21 Neonatal Nurse Practitioners;
• two students in the Nurse-Midwifery/Family Nurse Practitioner Program;
• 25 in Psychiatric/Mental Health;
• 23 students in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program;
• 17 in Women's Health.