HOPE/TEXARKANA, AR – December 4, 2024

The University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana will hold a nurse pinning ceremony for the Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium (ARNEC) program graduates on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. The ceremony will be held at 6:00 p.m. at Hempstead Hall.

The nurse pinning ceremony is a time-honored nursing school tradition. Often more personally meaningful than the graduation ceremony, it signifies your official initiation into the brotherhood and sisterhood of nurses. The ceremony is rich with symbolism.

The public is invited to attend this special event to honor these graduating nurses as a symbol of the care and devotion that the nurse provides to the sick and the hope they provide in the practice of nursing.

About ARNEC:

ARNEC is a consortium of four community and technical colleges located in rural areas of Arkansas. ARNEC was created to provide LPNs/LVNs the opportunity to take the next step towards advancing their careers in nursing by earning an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree (AASN). This prepares students to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam and apply for a Registered Nursing (RN) license.

For more information, visit https://www.arnec.org. 

Pictured: 

Front Row left to right: Amber Jones, Aaliyah Holland, Trinity Willis, Alixandria Greenlee, Rebecca Bynum

Middle Row left to right: Stacey Barr, Amanda Bearden, Crystal Shepard, Heather Littler, Shanchesta Dorsey, Joshua Beckham, Rebecca Price, Dimesia Harris

Top Row left to right: Cheryl Britton, Amanda Ramsey, Yuly Vanessa Rodgers, Windi Wilson, Carley Blowers, Madison Butler, Alexis Neal Williamson, Tamecia Billings, Madalyne Barwick, Lanisa White

UA Texarkana Practical Nurse Pinning Ceremony Scheduled for December 17, 2024

HOPE/TEXARKANA, AR – December 4, 2024

The University of Arkansas at Hope-Texarkana will honor graduating students from the Licensed Practical Nursing Program with a special nurse pinning ceremony on Tuesday, December 17, at 6:00 p.m. in the Hempstead Hall Theater.

The nurse pinning ceremony is a time-honored nursing school tradition. Often more personally meaningful than the graduation ceremony, it signifies your official initiation into the brotherhood and sisterhood of nurses. The ceremony is rich with symbolism. The history of this rite of passage can be traced all the way back to the Crusades of the 12th century. During this time, the Knights of the Order of the Hospital of St. John the Baptist tended to injured and infirm Crusaders. When new monks were initiated into the order, they vowed to serve these sick soldiers in a ceremony where each monk was given a Maltese cross, the first badges given to those who nurse.

The modern ceremony dates back to the 1860s when Florence Nightingale was awarded the Red Cross of St. George in recognition of her tireless service to the injured during the Crimean War. To share the honor, she, in turn, presented a medal of excellence to her brightest graduates. By 1916, the practice of pinning new graduates was standard throughout the U.S.

All nursing pins are unique. The UAHT pin was designed in 1966 by Hazel Underwood, the first program director and instructor of the Practical Nursing Program. The cross on the UAHT pin traces back to the Knights who cared for the Crusaders. The state of Arkansas represents our home, and the circle is representative of the life cycle from birth to death and birth anew.

The public is invited to attend this special event to honor these graduating nurses as a symbol of the care and devotion that the nurse provides to the sick and the hope they provide in the practice of nursing.

For more information about nursing programs at UAHT, visit https://www.uaht.edu/academics/tc-practical-nursing.php. 

Pictured:

Front Row left to right: Journee Nance, Diamond Sanders, Britney Alvarado, Bandera Sansom, Amber Walker, Alexis Brush

Back Row left to right: Brianna Kellam, Perla Rodriguez, Shelia Bruce, Ashley Davis