Nursing students achieve milestone
Sep. 25—DANVILLE — Lakeview College of Nursing recently held a White Coat Ceremony to recognize students who achieved the transition into clinical practice within their bachelor's degree nursing program.
Students from the area who were honored during the ceremony include the following:
Taylor Brooks of Hoopeston.
Samantha Christison of Danville.
Marianna Craighead of Milford.
Jakarrah Dandridge of Danville.
Kathryn Davis of Danville.
Mariah Flores of Danville.
Paiton Frerichs of Fithian.
Chelsea Grubb of Potomac.
Abbie Morman of Muncie.
Christina Oakley of Danville.
Ashley Pascual of Oakwood.
Adrianne Pate of Danville.
Kristina Rentrop of Danville.
Miranda Sentelle of Danville.
Kerrigan Shafer of Oakwood.
Haley Shaw of Oakwood.
Carsen White of Danville.
Taylor Brooks of Hoopeston.
Samantha Christison of Danville.
Harley Epley of Rantoul.
Mariah Flores of Danville.
Chelsea Grubb of Potomac.
Chelsea Grubb of Potomac.
Ashley Pascual of Oakwood.
Kristina Rentrop of Danville.
Chelsea Roehrig of Champaign.
Nearly 50 Lakeview students participated in the event that was recently held at the I Hotel and Conference Center in Champaign.
The College's faculty, who were also wearing white coats, cloaked the students with their new garments. The white color of the coat represents compassionate caring, and the student's receipt of the jacket demonstrates a commitment to this compassionate and humanistic care, according to Rita Wallace, who is an associate professor at Lakeview College of Nursing. Wallace spoke at the event about the symbolism that the white coat represents.
"Historically, the white coat ceremony has been reserved for a college of medicine as a way of welcoming new physicians into professional practice. The new physicians would receive their white lab coats upon graduation in recognition of their accomplishment," Wallace said.
Within the nursing community, the right of passage into professional practice has traditionally been symbolized by graduates receiving their college's official nursing pin. Although this tradition continues, the nursing profession, as well as overall healthcare, has changed, explained Wallace.
Members of Lakeview's Student Government Association led the Nightingale Nursing Pledge and the White Coat Oath. Students recited verses that call for practicing the profession to the best of their ability as well as to promote, advocate and strive to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient.
Lakeview College of Nursing offers a bachelor of science in nursing degree. It is a single-purpose, private institution that has specialized in nursing education in the Danville area since 1894 and in Charleston since 2001.
