Motlow pins new nurses

Motlow College hosted a pinning ceremony on May 10 for nursing students who have successfully completed the nursing program's graduation requirements, said Amy Huff, director of nursing and allied health at the college. The pinning ceremony began at 6 p.m. in Nisbett Center on Motlow's Moore County campus.

"The ritual of pinning a nurse is a long standing tradition held at the conclusion of a nursing student's education," Huff said. "The pin is designed to signify the school the nurse attended and is pinned onto the student's uniform by a friend, relative, or mentor."

The pinning ceremony itself also is steeped in tradition, according to Huff. In honor of the woman known as the founder of modern nursing, the students dress in traditional white nursing uniforms, recite the "Florence Nightingale Pledge" and participate in the symbolic lighting of each student's lamp. Nightingale is known as the ˜lady with the lamp" because she saved thousands of lives while walking the halls of a battlefield hospital with a lamp to check on the soldiers. As a tribute to her dedication, the lamp icon, pledge, and lighting of the lamp are typically part of the pinning ceremony.

Melissa Russell Pineda, an assistant professor of nursing at Motlow, spoke to the graduates and their guests. Pineda received a bachelor's and a master's degree in nursing from Middle Tennessee State University and joined Motlow's nursing faculty in 2006.

Four individual nursing student awards were presented during the ceremony. These are the Outstanding Academic Award, Outstanding Contribution to the Class, Outstanding Clinical Award LPN and Outstanding Clinical Award Generic.

On May 11, students who have met all program requirements, graduated during commencement with an associate of applied science degree in nursing and will be eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam to become registered nurses.

Following are the Motlow College nursing students who are candidates for graduation:

Cannon County - Alisha H. Hale, Misty Gail Orr and Kathy L. Preston.