Second MSN cohort moves through rite of passage in White Coat Ceremony
MERIDIAN, Miss.—Sources from MSU Press Release say that as graduated Master of Science in Nursing students move to fill critical industry roles, Mississippi State University-Meridian has ushered its second cohort through a nursing rite of passage, the White Coat Ceremony.
The recent event signifies that the newest 37 students, who entered the program in August, are ready to enter the clinical phase of their education.
“We believe in this community, Mississippi State University, and the power of nursing,” said Mary Stewart, dean of MSU’s School of Nursing, who thanked the students for “bringing a rich diversity and your best selves to this challenge.”
“At the core of nursing is a willingness to suffer with those who are suffering,” she added. “Tangible health consequences result from being cared for and from caring for others.”
Before reciting the Pledge of Professionalism in front of a crowd of about 300 onlookers, students were given Nightingale Lanterns, symbolizing the work of Florence Nightingale, a Crimean War nurse who carried a lamp on her rounds.
Stewart said, “You’ll be entrusted with taking care of people who need help. They will need your help, and they will trust you to do right, to treat them the way that you would want to be treated. More so, when they see you in your Mississippi State University uniforms and professional lab coats, patients and other providers will expect excellence—not perfection, but absolute respect, integrity, and hard work.”
David Buys, associate vice provost of Health Sciences and interim head of campus, said the program owes a great portion of its success to the generosity of its donors.
“They have invested not only in MSU, but in the future of the healthcare industry and in the health of Mississippi’s communities,” Buys said. “Their vision and commitment ensure the success of our healthcare industry as a whole through well-educated, prepared healthcare workers.”
Stewart thanked Marty and Linda Stewart, The White Family Foundation, The Riley Foundation, Bower Foundation, Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation, Mississippi Nurses Foundation and the Mississippi Office of Nursing Workforce, while also expressing gratitude to the program’s clinical partners, nurse mentors and community leaders “who make hands-on learning possible.”
For more information on MSU-Meridian’s MSN program, visit nursing.msstate.edu.
Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Visit MSU-Meridian online at meridian.msstate.edu.
