Pictured:  Front row left to right; Alison Sanders, Juane Buckingham

2nd row: Sara Farmer, Madalyne Barwick, Gabrielle Washington

3rd row: Clair Spivey, Johneisha McKinney

4th row: Anna Sowerbrower, Taryn Kidd, Danielle Griffin, Shelby Robinson, PeTree Banks

Back Row: Tiana Page, Nadia Fryer, Tiraja Woods

HOPE/TEXARKANA, AR – December 8, 2021

The University of Arkansas at Hope-Texarkana will honor graduating students from the Licensed Practical Nursing Program with a special nurse pinning ceremony on Thursday, December 9, 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 for 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 pinning 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/academic-divisions/health-professions-division/.

AR – December 8, 2021

The University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana will hold a nurse pinning ceremony for the Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium (ARNEC) program graduates on Thursday, December 9, 20201. The ceremony will be held at 6:00 p.m. at Hempstead Hall.

About ARNEC:

ARNEC is a consortium of eight 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