by Suzy Alstrin
With a pin, a lamp, and a pledge, Reinhardt’s Cauble School of Nursing and Health Sciences graduates celebrated the tenth graduating cohort of nursing students. The traditional pinning ceremony on April 29th signified the completion of their undergraduate nursing studies.
This symbolic rite of passage dates to the 12th-century crusades when those devoted to caring for the injured wore large Maltese crosses on the battlefields. Modern-day ceremonies developed in the 1800s when legendary nurse Florence Nightingale presented badges with the same cross to her outstanding nursing students.
Meagan Larson, who served as chaplain of Cohort 10 while completing her degree, thanked her classmates, professors, and loved ones for their support in completing their undergraduate journey so that they could understand and develop their gifts to serve others with skill and compassion.
Senior George Edomwande received the DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award for Extraordinary Nursing Student. The award recognizes and celebrates nursing scholars for their above-and-beyond care and compassion toward patients and families. Assistant Professor of Nursing and Program Coordinator Kimberlin Zelinsky received the DAISY Award for Nursing Faculty as selected by the students.
Reinhardt’s nursing program based in Jasper, Georgia features high-quality labs, small class sizes, and faculty-student relationships that contribute to this remarkable accomplishment. Its graduates exceed national averages on success in passing the NCLEX and job placement.
