Second White Coat Ceremony celebrates growing OSU nursing program
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Media Contact: Christy Lang | Manager, Marketing and Communications | 405-744-9740 | christy.lang@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University's nursing program celebrated the start of a new academic year on Friday, Aug. 16, with its second White Coat Ceremony, which recognized 85 students beginning the professional nursing program, the largest cohort yet for the growing department.
"This official White Coat Ceremony is used to symbolize the start of your education
into the science and art of medicine," said Dr.
Tonya Hammer, head of the School of Community Health Sciences, Counseling and Counseling
Psychology. "So, when you put on your white coat, wear it with pride as you are not only representing
Oklahoma State University, and furthermore, the nursing profession, but you are also
representing the start of this stage of your education and the type of provider you
want to be."
College of Education and Human Sciences Dean Jon Pedersen noted the importance of the nursing program.
"The nursing program is critical to us in the college, the university and the state," Dr. Pedersen said. “We are proud to have this program as a part of the College of Education and Human Sciences and look forward to its continued growth.”
Dr. Alana Cluck, director of the OSU nursing program, congratulated the class of 2026 and led them in reciting the Nursing Oath, officially beginning their path toward becoming licensed health care professionals.
The White Coat Ceremony is a longstanding tradition in medical education, marking students' transition from general education to focused professional training. At OSU, the ceremony is the culmination of a rigorous admissions process, with students completing prerequisites and an exam before being accepted into the final two years of the nursing program.
Once admitted, OSU nursing students study and gain hands-on experience, including two years of in-lab simulations and clinical rotations focused on critical care, medical-surgical nursing, pediatrics, obstetrics, community and leadership.
"They spend time in the lab learning and practicing skills, as well as working through simulation patient care scenarios with manikins and virtual reality," Cluck said. "Clinical rotations include long-term care facilities and hospital settings."
The 85 students recognized Friday represent the second cohort in OSU's growing nursing program, which welcomed its inaugural class in 2023. Cluck said enrollment in the program is expected to reach 300 students by its third year.
As the new nursing students don their white coats, they now represent the next generation of nurses serving the state of Oklahoma and beyond.
Learn more about Oklahoma State University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing at https://okla.st/BSN.
Story By: Jillian Walker | jillian.walker@okstate.edu