Master of Science in Nursing graduates Erica Greene, left, Brandy Enoch and Claire Stone show off their professional pins after Sunday's VUSN pinning ceremony.
Photo by Dana Johnson
VUSN students ‘pin’ hopes on advanced practice education
During Sunday's VUSN pinning ceremony, Dean Colleen Conway-Welch, Ph.D., left, looks on as Master of Science in Nursing graduate Candice Harvey, right, receives her professional pin from her grandmother Gene Harvey, who received her diploma in nursing in 1944 at Nashville General Hospital.
Photo by Dana Johnson
More than 200 Vanderbilt University School of Nursing students received their professional pins of Nursing at a ceremony on Sunday.
VUSN Dean Colleen Conway-Welch, Ph.D., welcomed a crowd of more than 1,600 family members and supporters to the ceremony, held at Belmont's Curb Center due to construction at Langford Auditorium.
“This is a special day that brings you — the best and the brightest — 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, but you will always have a strong connection to Vanderbilt.”
VUSN's program begins and ends in August. The pinning ceremony is a way to formally recognize students when they finish the program, and 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, a tradition that dates back to the 1880s.
“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. “It is a symbol of pride and individual achievement.”
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 Tim Ballard; Cindy Winegar was honored in the Adult Nurse Practitioner Program; Tracy Blaylock was the top student in Clinical Management; the Family Nurse Practitioner Program Award went to Amber Worrell; the Health Systems Management Award was given to Kathy McPherson; Kelly Ballard was chosen from the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Program; Lillian McGehee was chosen as the first-ever Nursing Informatics recipient; Robin Moore won top honors in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program; Margaret Johnson took home the Award for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program; and in the Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Program, Suzanne Csorna was chosen for the specialty award.
Other awards included the Amy Frances Brown prize for excellence in writing, given to student Victor Czerkasij. James Pace, M.S.N., professor of Nursing was honored with the Julia Hereford Award by the students for his contributions outside the classroom. The student body also honored Steve Krau, Ph.D., associate professor of Nursing, with the Sara K. Archer Award for his outstanding contributions to teaching and scholarliness.
A total of 218 students completed the nursing program. Six students were recognized for completing their post-master's work.
Thirty-one were actually pinned by an immediate family member who is also a member of the nursing profession.
The specialty breakdown includes:
• 44 in Acute Care.
• 24 completed the Adult Nurse Practitioner Program.
• Three finished as Clinical Management Nurse Practitioners.
• 55 in the Family Nurse Practitioner Program.
• Two in Health Systems Management.
• 13 Neonatal Nurse Practitioners.
• One in Nursing Informatics.
• Two in the Nurse-Midwifery/Family Nurse Practitioner Program.
• 23 in Psychiatric/Mental Health.
• 35 in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program.
• 16 in Women's Health.