On Saturday, April 27, eighty nursing majors were pinned in the Abbey Church at ten a.m. The annual event is held in order to honor the senior nursing majors for all of their hard work and accomplishments over the past four years at Saint Anselm College. Following the ceremony, the nurses, faculty, family and friends celebrated mass, celebrated by Father Anselm Smedile, O.S.B.
Following the procession of the nursing Class of 2013 into the Abbey Church, Dr. Sharon George, Dean of Nursing, gave her opening remarks. She applauded the seniors for their achievements, and congratulated them on completing the program.
Dr. George then introduced the student speaker, Kelsey Lee. Though noting that many well written speeches had been submitted for consideration, Lee’s had stood out. Dr. George noted that she was very pleased that Lee’s talk had been chosen in the double-blind selection process, for Lee had battled cancer at her time at Saint Anselm College, and worked very hard to ensure that she would not fall behind.
Lee began by congratulating her fellow classmates, reminiscing about all of their experiences throughout their time at the college: taking their first vital signs, their first patients, and studying for pathopharmacology, among others. She then spoke about their time as nurses, using a quote from the memoir of a nurse “I love it, and I hate it”. She stated that as nurses, they loved being able to help their patients, but at the same time, hated the illnesses and diseases that caused their suffering.
After Lee’s speech, Father Augustine Kelly, O.S.B., blessed the pins, which were then presented to the nursing majors, along with a rose. The design of the pin contains a shield and a lamp, which refers to Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp of my steps and a light for my path.” Surrounding the pin is the inscription “Initium Spientiae Timor Domini”, meaning “The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” the college’s motto.
Dr. George presented two awards at the pinning ceremony. The first was the Dr. Joanne K. Farley Award, which is presented to a student or students who represent “the true nursing spirit of caring, leadership, and selfless service on the local, state, and national levels.” Two students received this award: Katie Laque and Megan Sullivan.
The final award, The Student Nurse Leader Award in Memory of Dr. Joyce Clifford, was recently created and added to pinning ceremony. Dr. Clifford was a graduate of the nursing program at Saint Anselm College, served as a trustee, and was inducted into the Fellowship of the American Academy of Nursing, the highest honor a nurse can receive. The award is presented to a senior who is seen as a dedicated nurse and leader in the community. The award was presented to Sarah Haigh.
Out of the eighty senior nursing majors, forty-two were members of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, which inducts undergraduate and graduate nursing students “who demonstrate excellence in scholarship and to nurse leaders exhibiting exceptional achievements in nursing.”