Friends and family helped to fill the festive event held in the M&T Bank Arena on the York Hill Campus on August 29. Noting that nursing is the most trusted profession, Dean and Professor of Nursing Larry Z. Slater, PhD, MAc, RN-BC, CNE, FAAN said that beyond exposure to many practical skills, clinical experiences foster vitally important critical skills in new nurses.

“It’s the art of empathy and compassion, caring, emotional intelligence, critical conversations — those are what are going to make you truly a nurse,” Slater said. “In your education at Quinnipiac, we strive to build your leadership and professional skills. We know that our graduates are highly sought-after because you are leaders in nursing, even in your first job.”

As they stood on the shore of their nursing careers, the students were encouraged to dive in and take initiative, said keynote speaker Toby Bressler, PhD, RN, OCN, FAAN. Bressler serves as vice president of Patient Services at Smilow Cancer Hospital and is faculty and senior advisor to the Dean for Clinical Partnerships at Yale School of Nursing.

“You are about to be launched, gently, or maybe like a cannonball, into the wild, wavy, wonderful ocean of healthcare. It is a sea worth sailing,” said Bressler. 

Bressler provided several lessons that she picked up from “nursing in the deep end” which she hoped would stay with her audience. 

“Always check the current – read the room and the patient’s charts before you speak. Waves are part of it, expect and embrace the chaos,” said Bressler. “You are not the lifeguard of the whole ocean – you can’t fix everything, but you can float beside someone, and sometimes, that’s enough.” 

Bressler said the students will also face storms of emotions, systems and situations which don’t appear in textbooks. 

“There will be moments when you feel like you’re swimming against the current. The key is to be like Dora and keep on swimming. And when you feel like you’re sinking, look around you. These people who sit beside you, your nursing colleagues, and your soon-to-be nurses, will throw you a line,” said Bressler.

In another analogy, Bressler said nursing is like fishing. 

“It isn’t about the greatest catch. It’s about showing up, rain or shine. It’s about listening deeply. It’s about casting hope and it’s about reeling in dignity and passion and healing,” said Bressler. 

In closing, she urged each student to be the anchor of calm in someone else’s storm. 
“Be brave, be bold and be present. The ocean is vast, the sea is immense, but so is a nurse’s purpose,” said Bressler. “So get out there. Be the life raft, be the lighthouse, and be the nurse who brings calm to choppy seas. Congratulations to all of you on receiving your white coats. Cast courageously, cast greatly. Your ship is ready. Go and make some waves.”

Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs and Assistant Professor of Nursing, Tyler Traister, DNP, RN, CNE, NE-BC, OCN, CTN-A,NPD-BC, MEDSURG-BC shared the history of the white coat. Then, as each name was announced by Slater, students crossed the stage in their navy-blue scrubs, where nursing advising faculty helped them slip into their white coats for the first time. Students also were presented with Keeping Healthcare Human pins provided by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, initiators of the first white coat ceremony in 1993.  Next, the arena erupted with cheers and applause as 240 BSN students in their new white coats stood to take the student oath.

In closing, Traister encouraged the 240 BSN students to embark on their clinical journey with the spirit of collaboration, teamwork and compassion. He reminded them to prioritize empathy and to treat every patient with respect while incorporating values such as curiosity, integrity, continuously seeking knowledge, upholding the highest ethical standards and always striving for honesty and professionalism. 

“Nurture these values and let them inform the interactions that you have,” Traister said.