SUNY Downstate College of Nursing Holds Second Annual White Coat Ceremony
Nov 23, 2015
Brooklyn, NY – SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University’s College of Nursing recently held its second annual White Coat Ceremony welcoming incoming nursing students. At the ceremony, students newly enrolled in the College of Nursing’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program received white coats as a symbol of joining the nursing profession. The class will graduate in 2016.
The White Coat Ceremony was begun by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation (APGF) more than twenty years ago to instill among medical school students a commitment to providing compassionate care. Last year, the ceremony was extended to nursing schools, and Downstate’s College of Nursing was one of the first 100 nursing schools nationwide to be given a grant from APGF and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) to launch the nursing White Coat Ceremony.
During the ceremony, each nursing student was presented and "cloaked" with his or her short white laboratory coat, formalizing the student's entrance into the profession and reminding them of their commitment to high quality care. The students also recited a White Coat Ceremony Oath pledging dedication to the welfare of humanity and the relief of suffering, and accepting the duties and responsibilities of the nursing profession.
Daisy Cruz-Richman, PhD, RN, professor and dean of the College of the Nursing, greeted the students and guests and reminded them that providing humanistic and compassionate care to patients is the goal for all health care providers, including those in the nursing profession. “Compassionate and humanistic care must be the gold standard for clinical nursing practice,” said Dean Cruz-Richman. “It must be the hallmark when we render patient care, not only to patients, but also to their families and the communities where they reside.”
The keynote speaker was Shirley A. Girouard, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor and associate dean for research and innovation at Downstate’s College of Nursing. Dr. Girouard said, “This ceremony has great importance. Our nation, you, our world, and our health care will be influenced by all of you as the next generation of nursing leaders, so we welcome you and want to emphasize the importance of what you do and the importance of you as healthcare professionals.”
Dr. Girouard noted, “There is a difference between caring as a human being, and caring as a professional nurse. They are not mutually exclusive, but they are certainly different. There is a theory, a science, and an art to caring as a nurse. Professional caring moves beyond the emotional or the human response; it requires knowledge and experience; and it requires action.”
This year, 68 students enrolled in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science Nursing Program.
The Nursing White Coat Ceremony at Downstate was also supported by the SUNY Downstate College of Nursing Student Council.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.