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UMass Medical School kicked off Convocation Week 2015 with the Graduate School of Nursing’s 11th annual pinning ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 8, when the 28 members of the Graduate Entry Pathway (GEP) Class of 2017 received their registered nurse pins and were welcomed into the nursing community.
A time-honored tradition of nursing programs throughout the world and conducted here in the presence of faculty, family and friends, the pinning ceremony is a rite of passage into the profession, and a reminder to everyone of nursing’s promise to serve others. For members of the GEP Class of 2017, the pinning ceremony marks completion of the first rigorous year of the program for individuals with bachelor’s degrees in non-nursing disciplines as they continue their studies to become advanced practice nurse practitioners.
“I chose nursing for its holistic approach to patient care, which is emphasized here from day one,” said family nurse practitioner student Estela Trebicka. Her family immigrated to Worcester from Albania when she was a teenager who spoke no English. A graduate of Burncoat High School and the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Trebicka used her chemistry degree to work as a research technician at Massachusetts General Hospital. She was accepted to medical school before deciding that nursing was the best health care career for her.
“From day one we are taught to see the entire picture with a patient, and to provide care that is patient-centered while being caring, compassionate and empathetic,” said Trebicka, who is most interested in providing primary and preventive care with a focus on maternal and women’s health.
Eightstudents, including Trebicka and class speaker Sarrin List, were honored for outstanding achievements:
- Kathryn Crawford, Melanie Faust and Emily Martin received Academic Excellence Awards for the highest GPAs;
- Susan Emmerling and Richard Gallagher received the Clinical Excellence Award for clinical skills;
- Estela Trebicka received the Spirit of Nursing Award for embodying the attributes of nursing; and
- Sonali Gandhi and Sarrin List received the Community Engagement Award for commitment to community service.
“We were challenged to the brink of our potential, academically and emotionally,” said List, who was selected to represent the class by her fellow students. “Tonight our pinning represents a nursing coming of age, allowing us to fully see ourselves as nurses.”
This year’s ceremony was dedicated to Eileen Terrill, PhD, who has retired as assistant professor of nursing and director of the GEP Program, a role she has held since 2008. In a tribute to Dr. Terrill, GSN Dean Paulette Seymour-Route, PhD, noted that the GEP program has grown and excelled under Dr. Terrill’s leadership.
Dr. Seymour-Route, who will retire as dean when a successor is named, was in turn recognized by Chancellor Michael F. Collins for 10 years of success in that role during a period of dramatic change in the nursing profession, including the rise of programs such as GEP to address a nursing workforce shortage.
Following receipt of their pins, members of the GEP Class of 2017 recited an oath led by class representative Rachel Meyer-Bensen. The pledge is adapted from the original one developed for Florence Nightingale, which was based on the Hippocratic Oath.
While her interest and experience in research may lead her to a PhD in the future, Trebicka now looks forward to working as a family nurse practitioner in Massachusetts, preferably in Worcester, after completing her master’s degree. “I’m very connected to Worcester. I want to give back to the community that welcomed me as a newcomer and is now my home,” she said.
The Graduate Entry Pathway Class of 2017
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Full video of GEP Pinning Ceremony
Related link on UMassMedNow:
Convocation 2015 official launch of new academic year
