On Wednesday, September 14th at 6:30 p.m., the Carroll College Nursing Program will host its annual White Coat and Hand Blessing Ceremony in the All Saints Chapel on the Carroll College campus. The White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage to emphasize the importance of compassionate patient care. This interfaith ceremony recognizes the dedication of nurses to bring comfort, kindness, respect, and spiritual support to patients.
Carroll's first Nursing Hand Blessing ceremony was held in 2012 and this year's ceremony continues the tradition of the White Coat Ceremony that was incorporated into the Hand Blessing ceremony starting in 2018. Nursing students are given a specially designed pin, provided by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation, that serves as a visual reminder of their commitment to providing high-quality care with humanism at the core of their practice.
There will be a reception with light refreshments directly following the ceremony in the lobby of All Saints Chapel.
Please do not attend if you are feeling ill. Students unable to attend can pick up a pin at the nursing office after the ceremony.
About the White Coat Ceremony
The White Coat Ceremony was initiated in 1993 by Arnold P. Gold, MD, a professor and pediatric neurologist, who was a passionate advocate for humanistic healthcare. Dr. Gold believed that the oath taken by new physicians at the end of medical school came too late. Through the nonprofit organization that he and his wife, Dr. Sandra Gold started, The Arnold P. Gold Foundation has expanded the White Coat Ceremony around the globe.