I recently got pinned and it was held at our university campus auditorium. Since I transitioned into the accelerated program, our cohort consisted of 16 students and so we were able to bring in as many people as we wanted.
The ceremony was very emotional and exciting at the same time. It felt great to be at the end of the finish line. To be seated on the stage and waiting to get pinned was a dream that I dreamt three years ago and it felt so surreal to be living the dream. It was such a beautiful moment and I was proud of myself and all my classmates. We all shared our joy as we spoke about passing our NCLEX and landing our dream job!
The ceremony started in the afternoon at 2 p.m. We came a little early for rehearsal and then took some group pictures on the campus. When it was time, we walked onto the stage and saw our family sitting in front of us in the auditorium. It was definitely a proud moment for them to see us sitting on the opposite side. There was a slide show running behind us, that showed the group pictures throughout the semesters. As we got called to get pinned, individual pictures, ambitions, future plans and a note to family and friends was displayed on the big projector screen for the audience to see.
Being called your name to get pinned and RN attached next to your name just gave that sense of accomplishment. At that moment, I forgot how stressful nursing school was. It was like giving birth. As soon as you see the baby, you forget about your labor pains. It felt exactly like that. It was definitely worth it going through those 3 years of many sleepless nights and sacrificing special gatherings with family just so I could finish my assignments or study for my exams.
If you’re reading this, I just want to say whatever you’re going through life, just keep going. Don’t look back and don’t give up. It will be worth it at the end!
The Studious Mom 