Milestone Events
Some of the most exciting and rewarding events outside of the classroom and clinical experiences are the milestone occassions that take place at The George Washington University School of Nursing, such as the pinning ceremony, white coat ceremony, graduation and commencement. Each marks a special accomplishment where students are recognized for their scholarly achievements, as well as their dedication to the nursing profession.
Featured Milestones
GW Nursing Graduation Celebration
At the end of each semester, GW Nursing hosts a graduation ceremony for our nursing graduates. This intimate ceremony, presided over by the dean, brings together our nationwide community of students, faculty and staff. Graduates will hear from leading speakers while celebrating their success in education and next step in their career.
University Commencement
Commencement is a hallmark event for all community members. While each school holds its own ceremony, University Commencement on the National Mall includes graduates from all degree levels and schools. Graduating students will take the first step of their lifelong journey as GW alumni with the nation’s most recognizable landmarks and monuments serving as a backdrop.
GW Nursing Pinning Ceremony
The pinning ceremony welcomes our GW Nursing graduates into the profession of nursing. Professors and mentors present each new nurse with ceremonial pins, displaying the graduating university. Nurses will also take the Nightingale Pledge, named in honor of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. It is a proud moment for our graduates pledging to service and the high ideals of the nursing profession.
White Coat Ceremony
The White Coat Ceremony marks an honored tradition, serving to welcome students to health care practice and elevating the value of humanism as the core of health care. It provides a powerful emphasis on compassion in combination with scientific excellence. The ceremony is considered a rite of passage in the journey towards a health care career.
BSN Toast & Composite Reveal
The BSN Toast & Composite Reveal is a celebratory event following the last class of a given cohort. Graduating BSN students, as well as faculty and staff, are invited to grab a beverage and toast the completion of their program while hearing from the dean, a distinguished alumnus and cohort representatives.
BSN Poster Presentation
To prepare our undergraduate students for the rigors of further academic study, we require them to create and present an academic research poster before the end of their time in the program. Students present their findings in a setting similar to what they might encounter when presenting at a conference.
DNP Project Poster Day
As the culmination of their time in our DNP program, doctoral candidates will create and present an academic poster to be shared with their peers and teachers.
Sigma Theta Tau International Inductions
Students meeting the criteria for inclusion in GW Nursing's chapter of the nursing honor society will be invited to join Sigma Theta Tau and can participate in the induction ceremony welcoming them to an honor society with chapters all over the world.