Event | MSU Denver Nursing Pinning Ceremony Date and Time | Monday, May 15, 2023, at 5 p.m. Location | King Center Concert Hall at MSU Denver, 855 Lawrence St, Denver, CO 80204
You are invited to the Spring 2023 Nursing Pinning Ceremony.
The nursing pinning ceremony is a time-honored tradition marking the transition from school to nursing practice. Please join us in celebrating this monumental moment.
Dress: Semi-formal
Please email [email protected] if you require additional seats. We will do our best to accommodate larger parties once general tickets have been distributed.
We are thrilled to join in this celebration with you!
About | The nursing pinning ceremony is a time-honored tradition marking the official initiation of graduating students into the community of nursing. Steeped in tradition and symbolism, this ceremony recognizes a nurse’s commitment to service.
This right of passage dates back to the 12th century, during the Crusades when Knights of the Order of the Hospital of St. John the Baptist heeded the call to tend to the injured and infirm. When new monks were initiated into the order, they vowed to serve the sick and wounded soldiers and the greater community. As a symbol of that vow, each new initiate received a Maltese Cross, the first emblem given to nurses.
The founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, resurrected this tradition in the 1860s. After receiving the Red Cross of St. George in recognition for her tireless efforts to serve during the Crimean War, Nightingale felt that the honor of service should be shared with all who make the enduring commitment to care for others. As a champion of nursing excellence, Nightingale began awarding her best and brightest students with a medal to recognize this commitment.
By 1916, the practice of awarding medals, badges, and pins became common across the United States and Europe as a recognized symbol of the nurse’s declaration to engage in excellence, service, and ongoing education.
In time, each school began to design and customize their own pins to represent the mission and vision of their programs.
The Metropolitan State University nursing pin displays a flame encircled by a laurel wreath. The flame denotes Nightingale’s famous rounds at night, and symbolizes the eternal commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and service. The laurel wreath signifies honor and integrity in care. The circular shape of the pin represents constancy.
