The day before commencement, WSU College of Nursing undergraduates will take part in 100-year-old tradition handed down from none other than Florence Nightingale – the pinning ceremony.
During convocation, students are “pinned” by a faculty member, family member or friend – someone who has been important to them in their nursing education. The act of pinning ceremonially welcomes undergrad nurses into the profession.
Each nursing school has its own pin design, many featuring an oil lamp. This design is a tribute to Nightingale, who was called “the Lady with the Lamp” by soldiers during the Crimean War in 1854.
Nightingale established a training school for nurses and is credited with revolutionizing the practice of nursing and the profession. The Nightingale School of Nursing awarded badges to nurses as they completed their program, and the practice took hold in both England and the United States.
