The White Coat Ceremony
On September 1, 2015, incoming bachelor of science in nursing students participated in the School of Nursing’s first annual White Coat Ceremony, which marks an important professional milestone for all Badger nurses and signifies their new responsibility as nurses in the clinical setting. The event was established with funding from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation and part of a national initiative focused on promoting compassionate care among nursing students as they begin their professional nursing education.
Held each year on the day students are welcomed into their nursing program, the ceremony helps students mark their transition from pre-nursing students into the role of student nurses. After years of studying and preparation for nursing school enrollment, students receive their white coats to mark the beginning of patient care as nurses. It is an important professional milestone and signifies new responsibilities as nurses in the clinical setting. It acknowledges their hard work, and the white coat reinforces their value as an essential member of the interdisciplinary health care team.
The ARC
On April 17, 2018, the School of Nursing was proud to celebrate its first ever White Coat Ceremony for its doctor of nursing practice (DNP) students. In 2024, the name of the ceremony was officially updated to better reflect and celebrate the students’ immersion into clinical or practicum experiences based on their chosen DNP specialty. No longer referred to as a White Coat Ceremony, it is now the Doctor of Nursing Practice Academic Recognition Ceremony. While the name of the ceremony has changed, the pride and excitement that is instilled when putting on the coat is still the same as it has been since 2018.
