The UNMC College of Nursing will hold induction ceremonies Sunday, Oct. 12, to recognize approximately 140 new nursing students across the state.
During the ceremonies, students will commit to the academic integrity of the profession and begin assimilating the values and behaviors of the professional nurse. The ceremony also will reiterate such values of the professional nurse as responsibility, trustworthiness, honesty, fairness, and respect of others.
Ceremonies begin at 2 p.m. (CST) in Omaha and at UNMC nursing divisions in Scottsbluff, Kearney and Lincoln. In Omaha, the ceremony will be in the College of Nursing’s Cooper Auditorium, 42nd Street and Dewey Avenue. The Lincoln ceremony will be at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Student Union. The Kearney ceremony will be in the Nebraska Student Union, Room 238 A & B. The Scottsbluff ceremony will be at 2 p.m. (MST) at the State of Nebraska Complex Auditorium.
The ceremonies will open with a procession of students and faculty, followed by guest speakers at each site. Students will recite an oath of professionalism and sign a pledge. Representatives from the UNMC College of Nursing Alumni Association will present each student with the college’s badge to be affixed to their uniforms. Students also will be given the pen used to sign the oath. Receptions will follow at each division.
Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing, will participate in the ceremony in Omaha. Dr. Tilden assumed her new position Oct. 8.
“Health care has become more complex,” Dr. Tilden said. “We recognize the importance to initiate a formal ceremony hallmarking the students’ entry into the profession of nursing and their assimilation of the values and behaviors of a professional nurse. During the next four to five semesters, students will attend classes, participate in clinical experiences from six to 12 hours a day, and fulfill their pledge to uphold academic integrity and professional standards.”
Assistant deans at the other divisions are: Lani Zimmerman, Ph.D., Lincoln Division; Judith Billings, Ph.D., Kearney Division; and Gloria Gross, Ph.D., West Nebraska Division in Scottsbluff.