Nursing Grad 2011!
Posted in WHAT'S NEW? by Heather Dickson on 5/31/2011 4:19:19 PM
Since 1987, Alan has been photographing the LU School of Nursing Graduating Class, and this year was no exception! The guys and girls of this year's Nursing program were a great bunch, and we had a blast getting to know them as they came in over the year for their photos. Alan was once again invited to shoot the Capping and Pinning ceremony, which is different from their convocation ceremony, and while the 'capping' part is rather self-explanatory, harking back to the days when nurses wore the traditional whites, the pin is a different story. I actually Googled it last year and I thought I would include the Wikipedia explanation of why this 'pin' is so special:
The nursing pin is a 1,000-year old symbol of service to others. The earliest ancestor of the pin dates back to the Maltese Cross, adopted by crusaders and worn on their habits as a symbol of service to Christianity. Over the centuries, variations of the crusader's symbol were gradually modified and became family coats of arms, often symbolizing service to a ruler. By the Renaissance, guilds had adopted coats of arms symbolizing masterful service to the community. The most recent ancestor of the pin is the hospital badge of 100 years ago. It was given by the hospital school of nursing to the students to identify them as nurses who were educated to serve the health needs of society. This symbol of service involves many professional rights and responsibilities.
This is a great reminder of the high calling of this profession, and the symbolic importance of this capping and pinning ceremony. Of course, photomonkey photobooth came along for the ride, and was a huge hit! The nurses couldn't wait to get done with the ceremony to get back in the booth! I included some of the images for good measure!
So here's to the new crop of nurses about to grace our medical system - you are a great group and it was an honour to photograph this special achievement in your lives! Wear the cap and pin with pride!
