Sixty-four first-year nursing students took an oath to accept the responsibilities of a nursing student and were then ceremoniously cloaked in a white coat by the Worcester State University Nursing Department faculty in the second annual White Coat Ceremony on Tuesday, November 15. More than 275 guests were in attendance.
The keynote speaker at the event was Director of Research Nursing at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute Kristen Johnson ’00, JD, RN, OCN. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Westfield State University and a Master of Science in Biology from Harvard University. She also earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Worcester State in 2000 and a juris doctorate from Suffolk University in 2005.
“This event underscored the importance of nurses in health care. It encouraged students, who are focusing just on coursework in their first year of studies, to reflect on their chosen profession and the importance of humanism in providing care to patients,” said WSU Associate Dean for Nursing Stephanie Chalupka, Ed.D. “The ceremony bonds students and faculty, as they realize their shared goals in health care. Nurses typically spend more time with patients than any other health-care provider. We must focus on providing compassionate care and embed humanism into our practice in order to improve the patient care experience and improve patient outcomes.”
Chalupka added that the department is grateful for the grant from the WSU Alumni Association Advisory Board that made the event possible.
Alumna and event keynote speaker Kristen Johnson with Associate Dean of Nursing Stephanie Chalupka
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