By Jordan Beach
Reinhardt’s Class of 2020 Cauble School of Nursing & Health Sciences students includes 15 nursing students who donned their white coats for the first time at the University’s 2nd annual White Coat Ceremony.
“The White Coat Ceremony is an act of matriculation for the student nurse. It symbolizes the transition from the study within the didactic setting to include the clinical setting and care of the patient,” said Dr. Glynis Blackard, dean of the Cauble School of Nursing & Health Sciences. “It has become a ‘rite of passage’ for health care providers and is an acknowledgement that the individual – even though still a student – is now a member of the multidisciplinary health care team.”
The ceremony, held Sunday, Aug. 19 in Flint Hall at Falany Performing Arts Center, began with President Kina S. Mallard reading a dedication poem written by Provost Mark Roberts, a tradition that began with the inaugural ceremony. The poem includes a nurse’s prayer, asking “Lord, make me your handiwork.”
Guest speaker Jan Tidwell, chief nursing officer at Cartersville Medical Center, described a personal piece of her journey as God’s handiwork, recalling her time spent in the hospital with her grandmother, in which she gained valuable perspective of a patient’s experience, especially when feeding her grandmother her last meal of orange sherbet.
Family and friends observed as each student was called to put on their white coat that was then blessed by campus pastor, Rev. Jamie Hudgins, with an anointing prayer. Hudgins also blessed each student’s hands, a blessing intended to prepare the hearts of the future nurses in their pursuit of healing.
The Class of 2020 Reinhardt University student nurses includes:
Natalia Aguirre
Parker Austin
Ashley Bell
Alisabeth Bradford
Camryn Carter
Stephanie Dewendt
Andre Gardner
Makenzie Holmes
Julian Johnson
Jessica Mirocha
Madisyn Olson
Samantha Patrick
Johnna Powell
Madison Price
Kristen Wengryniuk
