Students encouraged to ‘evolve into the type of nurse you want to be’

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. 8 at Coffman Theater.

“This ceremony acknowledges your commitment to build your intellect. That includes your scientific knowledge. It also includes your clinical acumen, and it includes problem-solving capabilities. This ceremony also acknowledges your commitment to build your heart. That includes your passion, your purpose and ability to provide unparalleled holistic patient, family, community and planetary care. It is an affirmation of our central obligation to act, to care, to make a difference,” said Dean Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAMIA, FNAP.

Sakeena Futrell Carter, DNP ’13, APRN, CNP, CNM, PHN, a nurse-midwife, advocate and First Lady of St. Paul, delivered the keynote. She shared her professional journey as a labor and delivery nurse, then as women’s health nurse practitioner and finally as a nurse-midwife. “Finding your niche in this profession sometimes requires trying different things, continuing your education and altering your course,” said Futrell Carter, encouraging students to “evolve into the type of nurse you want to be.”

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.

“Think like a nurse,” said Gross Forneris. “It is a very different type of thinking but one you soon come to love and embrace because it is really the foundation of our discipline and what makes us unique.”

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.

Kate Beckwith, a BSN senior and president of the school’s Minnesota Nursing Student Board, encouraged students to make the most out of their memberships.

“Nursing school will fly by. My biggest piece of advice is to savor it,” said Beckwith. “Challenge yourself to participate in things you might not normally participate in. I think you’ll find that becoming involved will make nursing school a whole lot more manageable and enjoyable.”

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.”