Monmouth University’s Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies held its inaugural White Coat Ceremony in Wilson Hall on November 11. During the ceremony, 25 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students recited an oath to symbolize their commitment to the profession and to providing compassionate care.
The School of Nursing and Health Studies launched the BSN program this year and is one of 100 schools to receive funding from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation (APGF) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) to pilot White Coat Ceremonies, a program to promote humanistic, patient-centered care among incoming nursing students.
“We are especially proud to be selected as one of the new BSN programs to participate in the White Coat Ceremony,” said Dr. Janet Mahoney, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Studies. “We are committed to teaching our baccalaureate nursing students to provide empathetic and high-quality care.”
Dr. Mathy Mezey, professor emerita and senior research scientist and associate director of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at New York University, was the keynote speaker at the event.
Though White Coat Ceremonies have been an important rite of passage at medical schools for more than 20 years, this new collaboration between APGF and AACN marks the first time a coordinated effort has been developed to offer similar events at schools of nursing.
For more information, contact the Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies at 732-571-3443.