After years of studying and preparation, students receive their white coat and take the Nightingale Pledge to mark the beginning of their role in patient care. This professional milestone serves as a visible symbol of the commitment and responsibility all Badger nurses make to provide quality patient care and to advance health outcomes for all. White Coat Ceremonies are a special moment for all Badger nurses. For undergraduates, it honors the commitment they have made to join the nursing profession. For Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students, it connects their advanced learning in the school with their commitment to enhancing health outcomes in their practice. DNP students are given the option to receive either a white coat or a professional padfolio, whichever best fits their career trajectory. This tradition reminds us of all what it means to be a Badger nurse.
Our goal is to raise $8,000 to provide the 260+ incoming BSN and DNP students with a white coat or padfolio. Your gift of $30 will provide one new nursing student with their white coat. You also have the option to leave a note in the coat’s pocket or padfolio to inspire its new owner on their nursing journey. Any additional funds raised will be added to the Nursing Student Success and Support Fund.
History of the White Coat Ceremony
The Gold Foundation established the white coat ceremony in 1993 at Columbia University Medical School to highlight the importance of humanism in all care of patients. In 2014, in collaboration with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the white coat tradition was introduced in nursing schools. This groundbreaking collaboration has enabled more than 450 schools of nursing to offer white coat ceremonies for the next generation of aspiring registered nurses.
This ceremony emphasizes the nursing commitment to provide compassionate, collaborative, and scientifically excellent care from the very first day of training in the healthcare profession. It also acts as a reminder of the obligation nurses take to provide high-quality, humanistic care, including empathy for the human condition.