On a sunny Sunday afternoon, the Linfield University-Good Samaritan School of Nursing honored 136 graduates across two undergraduate and one graduate-level program — but the graduates didn’t sit alone. Next to each graduate was someone who had inspired or supported them throughout their rigorous courses of study.
As faculty members called each name, the nurse-to-be walked on stage accompanied by parents, children, spouses and friends. Those loved ones had the honor of affixing the graduates’ Linfield school pin, symbolizing the completion of their nursing studies.
While pinning ceremonies date back to the days of Florence Nightingale, this year’s pinning had a new element — the participation of Linfield’s inaugural Master’s Entry into Professional Nursing (MEPN) cohort, the first of its kind in the state.
Megan Starr Morgan ’24 was the student speaker representing the graduate-level cohort.
“I would like to offer a little bit of background on who we are for those that might not be familiar with our cohort,” she said. “We are a group of 23 incredible individuals that each already held a bachelor’s degree in another discipline, ranging from anthropology and sociology to business to communications to various science disciplines … while we all have different stories, the common thread that unites us all is that we all knew at our core that nursing was our future, and specifically sought out a program that would prepare us to become nursing leaders.”
In his opening remarks, Dean Paul Smith honored the dedication shown by each nursing student.
“Each of you has demonstrated exceptional resilience and passion … your dedication is a testament to your future in this noble profession,” he said.
He added that while nursing students often cope with loss during their clinical studies, there were many present who had also experienced personal losses of family or friends, including the loss of a fellow student “who would have been walking across the stage today, and whose absence is deeply felt.”
He asked for a moment of silence “to honor their memories and reflect on the strength of those who continue on this noble path.”
Jana Bitton, the executive director at the Oregon Center for Nursing, encouraged students to advocate and care for themselves the same way they advocate and care for patients.
“The road may seem daunting at times, and some of the statistics can paint a bleak picture, but you have the power to change those statistics,” she said. “You have the strength and knowledge and compassion to make a difference in this world.”
After the ceremony, students, families, friends and professors mingled on the Commencement Green, posing for pictures.
Courtney Bell, who had just completed the ABSN program, proudly wore an enameled daisy pin, signifying her as one of the recipients of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Student.
“I feel blessed to be here — I was supported along the way by all the professors and my cohort members as well as my friends and family,” she said, as her mother Diane Bell looked on and smiled.
“I feel super proud and grateful and amazed that she’s my daughter — I’m proud to be her mother,” she said. “She has the empathy, she has the caring bedside manner, her eyes dance when she comes home and talks about her clinicals. She’s going to be a fabulous nurse.”
By the numbers:
Master’s Entry into Professional Nursing (MEPN): 23 graduates, who completed a 15-month program in March
Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN): 37 graduates who completed a 12-month accelerated program May 23
Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (TBSN): 76 graduates who completed a two-year course of study May 23
