By Caitlyne Nguyen | Reporter
Students in the Louise Herrington School of Nursing’s class of 2025 officially received their white coats on Tuesday in Dallas, preparing to take the next step in their nursing careers.
For years, the white coat ceremony has signified nursing students’ transition from preclinical studies to clinical studies. Nursing students who earned their white coats will now enter hospitals to continue their education while applying everything that they learned up to this point.
“Baylor’s participation in this white coat ceremony builds upon our nursing school’s tradition of integrating faith and academic excellence in nursing education, enabling us to provide transformational experiences for students like you to realize your calling to learn, lead, serve,” Dr. Linda Plank, dean of the nursing school, said.
The ceremony was held in the Ruth Chapel at Criswell College and featured various speakers. Nursing students also recited the Nursing Pledge together, signifying their dedication to uphold the high standard of nursing and do no harm.
Students and their families gathered to celebrate the special occasion, as many of them have been looking forward to it for a long time.
“Finally getting my white coat is relieving,” Houston junior Emma Jessen said. “The hardest part of nursing so far was definitely the checkoffs, and it’s exciting to know that we get to put our skills to use on real patients soon.”
This year’s cohort was a larger group due to the university’s higher enrollment rates in 2021, which have required the nursing school faculty to adapt.
“The faculty has really risen to this occasion, and we’ve been working together more than we ever have,” Brandi Garrett, clinical instructor and level one coordinator, said. “We’ve tried to make this as much of a seamless transition for these students as we could, but I feel like as a faculty, we have grown closer with this large group.”
Garrett said she’s impressed by the students and the dedication they have shown.
“They are a very smart group,” Garrett said. “They’re very driven and determined. It’s so refreshing to see [that] they are engaged and that they like class. We do see that with most of our students, but to see it so early on and for them to be so focused, it’s just really amazing.”
The ceremony concluded with Plank advising students to be guided by Philippians 1:6 while caring for future patients and their families: “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
