Nursing students encouraged to challenge the status quo at ceremony welcoming them to the profession

School announces all students will receive National Student Nurses Association memberships

Sophomore students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program from the Minneapolis and Rochester campuses and first-year Master of Nursing students were welcomed into the nursing profession at a ceremony on Sept. 6 at Coffman Theater.

“This ceremony acknowledges your commitment to build your scientific knowledge, clinical acumen and problem-solving capabilities throughout your career,” said Dean Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAMIA, FNAP. “And this ceremony acknowledges your commitment to build your heart that is your passion, your purpose and your ability to provide unparalleled holistic patient, family, community, and planetary care. It is an affirmation of our central obligation to action, to caring.”

April Prunty, PhD, RN, NPD-BC, system director of Nursing Professional Development, Allina Health, delivered the keynote, noting that nursing is both a rewarding and challenging career. “Use your expertise to advocate for your patients, innovate your practice and lead with compassion and conviction,” said Prunty. “Never forget you are here to break barriers. You will be positioned to challenge the status quo and redefine what it means to be a nurse. Your unwavering commitment and dedication will help you overcome adversity and your success will pave the way for future generations.”

She encouraged students to seize every opportunity to learn and grow. “The world needs nurses who are not only skilled but also deeply committed to making a difference. You have the potential to be those nurses – the change makers, the healers, and the advocates our society needs. Possibilities are limitless. Welcome to the beginning.”

Susan Gross Forneris, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE-A, FAAN, professor and Associate Dean for Academic Programs, explored some of the foundational elements that help position nursing as the most trusted profession, including the Guide to Nursing’s Social Policy Statement, the Code of Ethics for Nurses, Scope and Standards of Nursing Practice and the 12 pre-licensure competencies.

“You’re going to hear a lot about critical thinking as a nursing student,” said Gross Forneris. “Nurses do think differently. That’s what makes our profession unique and specific and what marks us different in terms of what we bring to the health care table when we are all together.”

Gross Forneris announced that the school is providing all nursing students with membership to the National Student Nurses Association, which is dedicated to fostering the professional development of nursing students.

Heather Wiehe, president, Minnesota Nursing Student Board - Twin Cities, Kaitlyn Dewey, president, Minnesota Nursing Student Board – Rochester, and Thana Zoske, BS, president, Graduate Nursing Student Council, shared highlights of the program, how their involvement in student groups developed leadership skills, and how collaborations have enhanced their experiences as nursing students.

Students capped off the event by reading a commitment to the profession. It stated, in part, “As a future professional nurse dedicated to providing the highest quality care and service, I am committed to act in a compassionate and trustworthy manner in all aspects of my care to patients, families and communities. I commit to apply knowledge, experience and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal outcomes for those in my care.”