‘Pinning’ Down a Career

Prior to their official graduation ceremony on Wednesday, June 26, 16 graduates of the Certificate Vocational Nursing program at Integrity College of Health participated in a traditional pinning ceremony on Saturday.

The event is a symbolic welcoming of newly graduated or soon-to-be graduated nurses into the nursing profession.

According to Integrity College Director of Nursing Education Alice Sorrell-Thompson, who led the ceremony, a practicing nurse “passes that nursing spirit to the new graduate” in the form of a pin, and the student symbolically passes from “student” to nurse.”

Graduation then qualifies the graduates to sit for the national nursing licensing exam, as well as earn a public health nursing certificate.

The ceremony dates back to the Crusades in the 12th century, and later, when Queen Victoria awarded Florence Nightingale the Royal Red Cross for her service as a military nurse during the Crimean War. 

At pinning ceremonies, nurses are presented with nursing pins by either the faculty of their nursing school or by a person significant to them. These ceremonies also often include a reciting of the Nightingale Pledge.

While a pinning ceremony is not a graduation, a nursing pin historically symbolizes an educated nurse who is prepared to serve society as a healthcare professional.

Speaking before the pinning, Tina Moretti, RN, told the students, “You are the healers, you are the people who take care of people in their worst possible times, so remember to be kind. And I know you will. Don’t ever lose sight of that.”

The 2022-2023 graduates were pinned by Maria Bocobo, RN and Ragil Cespedes, LVN.

Following the pinning, VN graduate Denisse Marchessini led the students in the Nightingale Pledge, which reads, in part, “I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling…With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.” 

This year’s Vocational Nursing graduates are: Joseph Ahanmisi, Monique Archuletta, Thy Bunn, Roxana DePaz, Rocio Dominguez, Jennifer Flores-Williams, Carlos Garrido, Carlos Gonzales, Isabel Gonzales-Donato, Denise Marchessini, Chinyere Nnaji, Daniel Ortiz, Coraima Ramirez, Gerson Shin, Erick Soto, and Mckenna Vivar. 

Integrity College offers four nursing programs—Vocational Nursing Associate of Applied Science, RN-BSN Bachelor of Science, Veterinary Assistant, and Vocational Nursing, with a student body of 133.

For more information, call (626) 808-0215 or visit https://ich.edu/contact-us.