Nursing Pinning Ceremony
6/25/2026
4:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Visual and Performing Arts Center (VPAC)
The pinning ceremony is a unique and special ceremony for the nursing community. It is a symbol of the nursing students’ hard work and dedication towards their coursework and clinicals, and it marks the important transition from student to nurse.
The pinning ceremony has its roots in the 12th century when knights who aided the sick and infirm were given a Maltese cross to wear. Today’s pinning ceremony is closely tied to an award given to Florence Nightingale, who is known as the mother of modern nursing. She was awarded the Red Cross of St. George in the 1860s for her tireless work during the Crimean War. To share this honor, Florence presented a medal of excellence to her brightest graduates. Soon, the Nightingale School of Nursing at St. Thomas Hospital in London designed and awarded a badge with a Maltese Cross to all nurses as they completed their program. By 1916, the practice of the pinning ceremony had spread globally.
Typically, there is also a candle lighting portion of the ceremony to commemorate Florence Nightingale as the “lady with the lamp.” It may also symbolize the later rounds at night that a nurse may have to make while on the job. A candle will be lit, and the graduates will be given their own candle to hold. This could be in the form of an actual candle or an LED light. During the lighting of the candle, students will recite the Nightingale pledge or the International Council of Nurses Pledge. With this pledge, the nurses pledge that they will do no harm, maintain confidentiality, strive for excellence and uphold the Hippocratic oath.