SLU School of Nursing Holds White Coat Ceremony for Class of 2027
10/04/2024
Saint Louis University’s Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing hosted its White Coat Ceremony, a rite of passage for students as they begin their clinical training and progress toward becoming baccalaureate nurses.
“May you live out your role as professional nurses with integrity, intelligence, caring, and courage and serve as men and women for all,” said Kristine L'Ecuyer, Ph.D., interim dean at the Valentine School of Nursing.
Saint Louis University’s Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing anticipate their White Coat Ceremony held on Friday, Sept. 27, at St. Francis Xavier College Church. Submitted photo by Jalen Lee.
The ceremony was held on Friday, Sept. 27, at St. Francis Xavier College Church. The keynote speech was given by Patricia Miller, Ph.D., chief nursing officer at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital, where many SLU nursing students will complete their clinicals.
Miller is an experienced health care executive with more than 20 years of senior management experience at hospitals around the country. In her introduction, L'Ecuyer described Miller as “an insightful planner” who “demonstrates multifaceted leadership skills and ability to implement organizational improvements and enhance patient care outcomes through physician-nurse partnerships.” Miller is also respected for her keen ability to inspire others to perform.
“Know that there will be times that you may fail but look at them in a different way. Fail simply means ‘First attempt in learning.’ Take risks. Never give up. If you do these things, the next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world that is better than the one we live in today,” Miller said to the audience.
Valentine School of Nursing students celebrate at SLU's Busch Student Center during a White Coat Ceremony reception on Friday, Sept. 27. Photo by Jalen Lee.
SLU nursing faculty coated 121 students during the ceremony before family and friends in the iconic white coat that signifies their status as health care professionals. Their hands were anointed with sacred oil and a prayer that they “may be a blessing to all they encounter.” Students recited the health profession’s covenant, publicly affirming their intention to providing humanistic patient care.
In 2014, recognizing the vital role nurses play in the health care team, the Gold Foundation partnered with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to adopt a White Coat Ceremony for Nursing. More than 450 schools of nursing have participated, and the number continues to grow. The Gold Foundation champions the human connection in health care. The foundation engages schools and their students, health systems, companies, and individual clinicians in the joy and meaning of humanistic healthcare, so that patients and their families can be partners in collaborative, compassionate and scientifically excellent care.
For more information about the White Coat Ceremony and the Gold Foundation, visit www.gold-foundation.org.
Latest Newslink
- Two SLU Faculty Members Receive Emerson's Excellence in Teaching AwardTwo Saint Louis University faculty members received Emerson's 2024 Excellence in Teaching Award. Jennifer Buehler, Ph.D. (Education) and Christina Garcia, Ph.D. (Spanish) were both recognized for their teaching prowess. The Emerson Excellence in Teaching Awards Program recognizes educators in the St. Louis metropolitan area annually for their leadership in and passion for teaching, their contributions to student learning, and their knowledge and creativity.
- Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship Names Two to Entrepreneurship Hall of FameThe Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship at Saint Louis University inducted two new members to its Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame at a dinner on Friday, Nov. 8, at the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business.
- SLU's School of Education Partners with St. Louis Catholic Academy to Support Middle School EducationSaint Louis University's School of Education has partnered with St. Louis Catholic Academy, beginning a first-of-its-kind affiliation for SLU's School of Education. The SLU School of Education will provide resources to St. Louis Catholic Academy's middle school, starting with the current school year.
- SLU Study: Integrative Palliative Care Critical to Improve Mental Health Among Pancreatic Cancer PatientsFor patients facing a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, a compassionate approach to care can be transformative. Yet, a new study published in Healthcare reveals that palliative care, a service focused on enhancing the quality of life for those with serious illnesses, remains significantly underutilized among pancreatic cancer patients in the United States.
- SLU Study: Black Patients with Heart Failure Less Likely to Receive Palliative CareA study by researchers at Saint Louis University shows that only one in eight patients with heart failure in the United States receive palliative care consultations within five years of diagnosis. The study also highlighted significant racial and geographic disparities. Black people were 15% less likely to receive palliative care compared to their white counterparts.
- Team from Peer Jesuit Institutions Visits SLU as Part of Review of University's MissionSaint Louis University wrapped its year-long institutional process of discernment with an on-site peer visit this week. The visit was conducted by colleagues from three peer Jesuit universities.
