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Pinning Ceremony marks entry into nursing career

First event of Convocation week spotlights innovative GEP program

Members of the Graduate School of Nursing’s Graduate Entry Pathway Class of 2013 will mark a milestone on their journey to becoming advanced practice nurses when, in the presence of family, guests and faculty members, they are presented with their nursing pins and welcomed into the nursing community. Taking place on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 6 p.m. in the Faculty Conference Room, the Graduate Entry Pathway Pinning Ceremony will be the opening event for Convocation Week 2011 festivities at Worcester.

Established at the GSN in 2004 to address the nursing workforce shortage, the innovative GEP program allows individuals with baccalaureate degrees in fields other than nursing to become registered nurses after a full year of accelerated coursework. After another two years of graduate study, GEP students earn Master of Science in Nursing degrees in several advanced practice nursing specialties. The GEP Pinning Ceremony, the seventh to be celebrated by the GSN, symbolizes successful completion of the courses and clinical experiences required for taking the registered nurse licensure exam.

Featuring student awards and speeches, recitation of a class oath and receipt of the custom-designed pin, the Pinning Ceremony is an emotional and meaningful event for all who participate in and observe it. In this video, GEP Program Director Eileen Terrill, PhD, assistant professor of nursing, and GEP Class of 2013 members Ryan Gilbert and Mikaila Turner-Clarke share their anticipation for this personal and professional watershed.