Nursing/Pinning FAQs
Hello, hello dear readers!
I've gotten a lot of similar questions from readers and social media followers, so I thought an FAQ post would be just the thing.
What's a pinning ceremony?
It's honestly a lot like a graduation ceremony, except it's just for the nursing students (RN/LPN). You have speakers, you walk across the stage, people clap...so it's largely the same components of a graduation ceremony.
Except you don't wear a cap and gown, and you get a pin when you walk instead of a diploma.
Since I had joined the honors society, I also got an honors society pin and an honors society cord.
Do you have to wear white?
People do typically wear white as a nod to white nursing uniforms of the past, but it's not a mandatory code. The two pinning ceremonies I've seen at my school had people mostly wearing white dresses/pantsuits but also some black.
My sister graduated from this nursing school years ago, and she said back then, they all had to wear their white uniforms for the pinning ceremony.
Do you have a graduation ceremony too?
Yep! There's a formal graduation this week for the entire school, not just the nursing students. And that's the one where I'll have a cap and gown.
(Which is pretty exciting for me because I have never had one before! I was homeschooled so long ago, there were no graduation ceremonies available for homeschooled students.)
What's the NCLEX?
The NCLEX is the national licensing exam for nurses and it's separate from getting a nursing degree. I currently have my nursing degree, but I haven't taken the NCLEX yet.
There is an NCLEX for LPNs (Licensed Practical Nurses) and one for RNs (Registered Nurses). People who have a bachelor's of nursing and an associate degree in nursing both take the NCLEX for RNs.
And when I finish my online bachelor's program, I will not have to take another NCLEX, because I'll already be a full-fledged RN!
When will you take the NCLEX?
That's a good question; I don't know! I have submitted all the paperwork required on my end and I have also paid all the fees ($376 total).
So now I am just waiting for the board of nursing to verify with my school that I have actually graduated, and then they will send me an Approval To Test number (ATT). Once I get that, I will get some available dates to sit for the NCLEX.
I hear it takes 4-6 weeks, but I'm hoping they underpromise and overdeliver. 😉 We'll see.
When do you start your new job? Where are you going to work?
I have a job lined up on the floor where I currently work as a tech, and I'll start with the new grad cohort in August.
In June and July, I'll just work two shifts a week as a tech, which means those two summer months will be pretty easy. 🙂
The new grad program is like training wheels for new nurses, to make sure we get launched with the appropriate knowledge and experience. I want to be a safe nurse, but obviously, my hospital also has a vested interest in ensuring I'm a safe nurse!
Do you have your BSN now?
Nope! I have an associate's degree in nursing, but it is just as legit for bedside nursing as a BSN is.
We take exactly the same NCLEX as the BSN students do, we get all the same practical training, and we are RNs, not LPNs.
Are you going to get your BSN?
Yep! I start my online program in the fall. It's honestly a pretty easy bridge; the classes are comprised of things like paper-writing and discussion boards (and almost no exams. Amazing!!!)
And the topics are things like nurse leadership, healthcare systems, community health, and global health. So, it's less about the day-to-day practicalities of nursing and more about theory and systems.
It's a 100% online program, designed for working nurses, and it should only take me 18 months to finish. It is going to be a million percent easier than what I have been doing, and I am not stressed about it.
Paper-writing and discussion boards? Easy-peasy. I write every day as it is!
Do you have to get your BSN?
My hospital does require you to get it within five years of graduation, so yes, I have to do it.
I honestly don't think it's really going to make much of a difference in my nursing skill level, but a BSN is a pretty expected standard for most hospitals. And if I want to get my masters and teach one day, obviously I'll need a BSN in my pocket.
So, I'm just gonna bite the bullet and knock it out right away while I'm still in school mode.
Won't you need your nursing notes/flashcards/books?
A lot of people asked this when I posted photos on social media of me decluttering all my school papers.
The short answer is: no, and that's because of what I said above. The BSN classes are really entirely different than the types of classes I've been taking, so my notes are not going to be necessary for that program.
I also don't need them for NCLEX prep. I have an NCLEX prep book and also some online NCLEX programs that I can use to review for the exam. Those resources come with lots of practice test questions, which are really helpful in preparing for the NCLEX.
I lift my cap to you, Kristen RN!
Just so excited for you!!
Great post. Very educational. Thank you for sharing.
Congratulations again, Nurse Kristen! You look beautiful, and that smile says it all! Well done! It's been an honor to cheer you on from afar these past few years!
Kristen, I second everything Julia says. So happy for you!!!
So very happy for you- congrats, Kristen!!
I am so excited to see these pics of your smiling face! You should be sooooooo proud of yourself, Nurse Kristen!
I have a question. Who pinned you? Or was that not a thing at your ceremony? Okay, that's 2 questions. 🙂
A rotating group of our professors pinned all of us! And the "pinning" is just hanging the ribbon around our necks (the ribbon has the pin attached).
It would take FOREVER to manually pin this many students. 🙂
@Kristen, it might also be uncomfortable to be manually pinned, depending on the steadiness (or not) of the professors' hands! But seriously, congratulations again on your achievements.
@A. Marie, I had to pin my husband at one of his promotion ceremonies. I didn't stick him, but I was terrified I was going to and was shaking. I imagine at the least there would be a lot of pin dropping involved in a multi-student ceremony!
So excited for you to begin the next phase of life! Many congratulations on your accomplishments so far. Thank you for letting us share your journey, it's been encouraging and motivational.
Thank you for addressing the notes question! I would still keep to be a teacher. Ha ha. I think I’m finally understanding why your house is always clean and mine always has too many papers!
You look so stunning in your dress!! Congratulations again on the yellow cord honor!!!
Hehe, I loooove to get rid of things. And I know myself well enough to know I would never use my old notes!
Beautiful pictures! And so much for you to be proud of. Thanks for bringing us along in this exciting journey!
Wait - you have a sister? And she's a nurse too? How did I miss this?
@Rachel, Thank you for asking so I don't have to. ;-}
Haha, yes, she's been in things like my family ski pictures! You can see her here: https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/thankful-thursday-from-california/
She took a long break from nursing because she's been homeschooling five children, and she just renewed her nursing license last year.
Thank you for sharing! I always find it interesting to learn about "what people do all day" and the education/training behind it. Obviously, I know GENERALLY what a nurse does, but I also know that I only know a small fraction of the responsibilities.
Oh, I did think of a question! What did you want to be when you grew up? Do you think a child or teenage Kristen would be surprised (or not!) to know you are a nurse now?
I always said I wanted to be a wife and a mom. 🙂 I really didn't have thoughts of becoming a nurse until later on, so yes, I think teen Kristen would be surprised. She would also be extremely surprised I got divorced too. Ha.
@Kristen, adult Kristen got to drink something other than Kool-aid.
Thanks for doing this FAQ! I had wondered a number of those things, but not voiced them.
The nurse bag is really cute. 🙂 Enjoy this last week of graduation festivities! We're all so happy for you and proud of you!
Thanks so much for sharing about the modern pinning ceremony! At my mother in law’s pinning ceremony decades ago, they got their pins and their white caps… while they were wearing their nursing dress uniforms and white shoes. Oh hope times have changed! I’m glad you can go straight to scrubs. Congratulations! Enjoy the light workload this summer, you have more than earned it!
Congratulations!! I remember when you said you were starting nursing - it feels like a couple of months ago - now you’re already graduating!! And with a job lined up!!! You’re so great at everything that you do!! I hope you celebrate your achievement!
Soo glad to see these lovely images from your ceremony. You and your study buddies look triumphant, as well you should. Such a happy ending while also a beginning.
I did have one question: you said it is customary to wear white at this ceremony, which made me wonder if that’s also true for the male nurses?
The guys in my program did wear at least a white shirt; I know one wore khaki pants and a white shirt. 🙂
Watching your journey from afar has been an honor, and I am so deeply excited about all that comes next for you.
Congratulations for all you've accomplished so far, already!
frugal girl rn. i knew you could do it. thanks for the pictures was hoping there would be some. no kids were there? was hoping there would be kids. hope i am not out of line.
I only had a few tickets for the pinning and for the grad ceremony; soooo, kids are coming this week!
@Kristen,
I was wondering if Lisey will be able to fly in from Hawaii for your graduation?
She gets in tomorrow!!
@Kristen, yay kids!!! thanks for answering. a million mazel tovs!!!
Congratulations!
I was wondering about your old notes when you posted last week, though that makes sense. And now that I think about it, I didn't use ANY of my accounting notes or textbooks to prep for the CPA exam. I used a prep course I bought and that was more than sufficient. 😉
Congrats on graduating! I am SO proud of you!!!!! I can't wait to hear how your job goes. And I'm glad you get a nice relaxing summer.
Exactly! The NCLEX prep courses are gonna be quite sufficient, and also less messy. 😉
No questions, just CONGRATULATIONS. It was literally decades before I was ready to get rid of the last of my educational notes.
No, wait, a few questions.
Do you plan to take a vacation or break this summer? Do you have any projects in mind? Why such a long period between the end of school and the test? Seems like a shorter period would keep the info fresher. Do the male students also wear white at the ceremony?
The waiting period is simply for logistics; I am waiting for my school and the board of nursing to get me approved!
People do like to have some time to review, though. Some concepts are fresh, but others (such as the maternal/newborn material) are a little fuzzier and could stand to be reviewed.
And yep, my male classmates wore white in some version, with at least a white shirt. My one friend Jesse texted me and said, "What are we supposed to wear?" and I grinned and texted him back, "A white dress!" Heh.
@Kristen, I hope Jesse showed up in a white dress 😉
I am sorry to say he wore khakis and a white shirt. lol
@Kristen, aw, Jesse's letting the side down! 😛
@Kristen, it can't be fuzzy. you lived it four times. 5 if you count helping your sister-in-law. so glad Lisey will be there. you got this!!!!!
Ha, well, all four of my deliveries were smooth and uncomplicated. But for nursing exams, they ask you about complicated births! So I need to review those.
Congratulations! I’m sure you’ll be so excited to start your new job, but enjoy an easy summer. Btw, what exactly is the NCLEX for those of us not in nursing.
Congratulations and enjoy your summer. I know you will do well from here on out!
Thanks for the pictures, too; you look so happy.
DH's niece has the full white uniform, stockings, shoes, cap and navy cape, which she uses as a member of Nursing Honor Guard. She wears scrubs daily as a neonatal/NICU nurse, but she keeps that old-school uniform for the special occasions and has used it quite a few times. She's mentioned that older people, especially, love to see them in their white uniforms. I've got to admit, she looks sharp in it.
@JD, ooh, I want a navy cape! This uniform business reminds me of the military, “dress whites” is the term that comes to mind.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Navy dress whites are the second-sharpest uniform in the US military (although the poor officers need to wear white shoes).
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
I have my mom's Navy blue (Lined in red) nursing cape... It's now 65 years old... I love it... I wore it at Halloween as a child. I also used to love to starch and iron my mothers nursing caps... There was an art to it. I was about 16 when my mother stopped working in a hospital, so no more ironing of the caps.
@WilliamB,
I cherish the pictures of DH in his Navy dress whites. He did indeed look sharp.
@WilliamB, may i ask what is the first?
@Anita Isaac, I vote for Marine Corps dress blues, but I'm biased
: )
@Anita Isaac, Marine Corps blue dress uniform, A or B versions (the ones with blue blouses rather than khaki). It probably helps that Marines tend to be the fittest of the service members.
@WilliamB, Thanks for answering. I am partial to West Point Cadets and Navy Midshipmen. my dad was in WW11 and he used to work on governors island in ny harbor. as a kid, i spent a lot of time there
Congratulations to you. Best wishes
Congratulations! We need more nurses with your empathy, commitment as well as skills.
I am so happy for and proud of you! What a huge undertaking and at a difficult time of your life. Good for you! My mother started nursing school at 42 and then had a career in the VA. It provided her a nice retirement in later years and oh so much more! Her first goal was to get a drivers license and a light blue Chevy convertible! Wahoo!
Congratulations!! Pinning was such a huge milestone for me and like you, I started with an ADN and now have an MSN. The only thing I found I needed for my online BSN program was my book that had nursing care plans but I feel like you can find anything on the internet now so probably would not even need that. Best of luck to you - you are going to be a great RN!!
Congratulations!
When my now DIL finished she had both the pinning ceremony and also graduation. I loved the pinning ceremony! Something about sending all the nurses out into the real world to take care of others. She got selected to do the playlist for the music before the pinning ceremony. We had so much fun thinking of songs that would have been hilarious though inappropriate to actually use...think songs like It Hurts So Bad. She took her boards as quickly as she could and passed the first time. She is working on her bachelor's while working full time and being a wife and mother. I don't think a lot of people realize how intense the nursing curriculum is. Congrats!
Congratulations!
I love that teal ribbon. . . my cheap side says “HEY! You could have worn that white sundress from Target!” But I am rejoicing that your frugality through the years gave you options and shows what it is to be simply frugal, not cheap. You know when it is okay to spend rather than getting all bowed up about it.
Why is this the first time we’ve heard of your sister?? (I looked at the Tahoe photos and no one is identified; in another post you exposed your brother as a pepper fiend but I don’t remember any sister mentions.) I’m guessing (and understand because I rarely mention my sisters) that she prefers to fly under the radar instead of being visible on the www. Or maybe she lives far away and couldn’t help you study. Hmmm, is she part of the Commentariat under a pseudonym? Whatever the case, I believe you are part of an entire family of high achievers.
You are going to just revel in the freedom of the next two months. Looking forward to seeing and reading about how you adjust to the ease and flexibility of only two shifts a week, only studying for the NCLEX, and just enjoying life.
Oh, I know I've mentioned her in previous ski trips too. 🙂 And she is WAYYYYYY too busy with five kids and homeschooling and working as a nurse to help me with studying. Her plate is full, full, full to the brim!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, It might be an issue of timing. I knew FG had a sister so she must have mentioned it sometime. Maybe just not recently?
@WilliamB, Yes, that’s true. In the past, a sister and multiple brothers have been mentioned. Though not the sister as a nurse, from my recall.
So happy for you! You have accomplished so much.
My nursing graduation had people in traditional cap and gown wear and no one wore white. Interesting.
P.S. Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My actual graduation this week involves a cap and gown and there's no dress code for under the gown. 🙂
And thank you!!
Congratulations Kristen! The picture of you & your study buddies in your white dresses is so gorgeous! You look equally as young! I’m sure your BSN will be a breeze with your outstanding study habits and writing talents!
Congratulations, Kristen! You must have spent a lot of time over the last few years waiting/in process of big things. So happy to see that you have arrived! So much hard work, so many "don't wanna. doing it anyway." moments, so much patience (and so many patients!). So so happy for you! Congratulations on all of your forward progress!
Congratulations, Kristen! We are all so proud of you!
Congratulations, Kristen!!!
Interesting and informative. I'm glad you get a bit of a break after the intensity of nursing school.
Do not, I repeat, do NOT go into that sprinkler room wearing white!!! 😉
Don't worry, we didn't!!
@Kristen,
Teehee…I couldn’t resist…but you do look beautiful in that dress. It really suits you!
Congratulations on this achievement! Your dedication to the profession is very impressive. I've been enjoying this blog for a while, and I really appreciate your attitude and perspective on life.
CONGRAT! My daughter's school (Utica College, Utica NY) didn't require wearing white for pinning. Also, where I currently work (MSICU, as administrative assistant) our Graduate Nurses are not allowed to work as a tech after they graduate. They cannot work until they start their shifts as a GN. We have techs (nursing students) that work here their second year of school and then they transition to a nurse. That way, as in your case, they know the layout and know where everything is. It is a smoother transition for sure. You did it the right way!!!!!
Congratulations! You have been through so much and you have worked so hard. You’ve must be so proud! Have fun with your kids! Best wishes as you start your new career.
Did you have any robot nurses in your graduating class?
Congrats Kristin!!!
You look so wonderful in your white dress! Congrats again on such an accomplishment. I went to college and grad school right after high school because I remember thinking that if I stopped, I would get caught up in life and never make the time to go back. You are so much more disciplined than I was/am! I salute you.
Oh yes, that is exactly why I am jumping into the BSN program in the fall; I'm trying to take advantage of the momentum. Ha.
@Lindsey, I agree! Kristen's discipline is very impressive!
Hi Kristen! I've been a silent reader of your blog for a very long time! And this post got me all emotional! Congratulations to you. To your perseverance, hard work and the hope that you showed through out! You should be proud of yourself! Onwards and upwards!
-Ramya
Awww, thank you for taking the time to pop in and comment! That means so much to me!
For my pinning ceremony, we had to wear white nursing uniforms, a dress or white pants and top for the girls and the pants and top for the guys. In nursing school, for clinicals, we had to wear white uniforms with a blue tiny striped patterned "pinafore" for lack of a better word, over the white uniforms. It went over the head, almost as long as our dresses (or the short version if you wore pants, with strips on the sides that connected front to back) and I still have it after graduating 36 years ago (clearly I don't get rid of things as easily hah!) The guys had a top in the same fabric to wear with white pants.
As we walked to get our pin, they announced our name and the specialty we hoped to work in. I still remember the instructor who pinned me asking me why in the world I'd want to do L & D (while laughing of course!). I did not attend the actual graduation, having graduated from high school just 8 years before. I had 2 young kids and it just didn't feel as important as the pinning ceremony that my whole family attended.
I never did end up doing L&D. I was hired into a Cardiac unit but transferred to the Float Pool at the end of my residency, where I also got to go to Post Partum (my favorite at the time). After a several year stint as the Nursing Supervisor, then charge nurse on the surgical floor, I landed in Pediatrics - a career I've loved the last 17 years (doing post partum and NICU too since we were trained to all 3). Now, with all the Medicare/Medicaid cuts my public hospital is closing our Pediatric unit, and turning all part time positions across the hospital to full time. I won't be ending my career as a Pediatric nurse (I've got between 2 and 3.5 years left), but hope to get a Float position where I can do NICU and Post Partum (starting my career as a float and ending as a float - full circle....I'm REALLY trying to find silver linings!) Anyway, the beauty of a nursing career are the options, and the opportunity to try so many different things. So, on that note - CONGRATULATIONS KRISTEN!!! You are going to be the BEST nurse!
Congratulations! My daughter graduates from her RN program in just a couple weeks. I’ve been reading your blog since she was little, and it’s been so heartwarming to watch your worlds grow in parallel. I can't wait to see how your career unfolds and will continue cheering you on from the comment section!
You will find that your nursing skill levels are a big step above a new bsn grad. In the next to last rotation in bsn school I had to show a fellow student how to empty a foley bag!
It is supposed to change how you look at nursing but it didn’t seem to do that for me
Also I corrected an instructor in front of the entire class about what the latest practice was for Bp drip. She had never heard of nitropresside which was the gold standard at that time. I was working night shift in a big micu at the time
I also took the nutrition class because I didn’t think I could plan a diabetic low sodium diet on the fly. I ended up in a class with the jocks because it was a no brainer class
Congrats on completing school
@Cynthia, I’m surprised at all the bad talk about other nursing programs and schools. I would have thought nurses would be more supportive of each other rather than acting superior.
@Tiana, being in the worst patient ever category, the lack of basics explains some of the crappy care received.
Congratulations, Kristen! It has been amazing to watch your transformative journey.
Congratulations! I'm so happy you are taking advantage of all the celebrations by participating in the pinning and graduation ceremonies. And happy that I saw in one of the other comments that your kids are coming to celebrate with you!
Maybe you will inspire me to let go of my notes and papers from my university days..... Which ended 16 years ago...... And I have never referenced.... I think it is more all the work they represent rather than their usefulness which has made me struggle to let go! Maybe I will try to at least winnow down to a few selections that I'm really proud of. It's time :-)
These recent happy posts on your accomplishments and the congratulatory comments have been so cheering for me to read! I love that there is still so much positivity and well wishers out there, especially as I know we all span the political spectrum. Thank you for fostering this peaceful corner of the internet!
So delighted to see the pics and learn more about your ceremony. You are truly an inspiration. Congratulations!!
Kristen, what is NCLEX? Why do you need to pass another exam after all the study you've done?
Congratulations! Enjoy your well deserved days off. You're going to have a fantastic career!
THANK you for the informative graduate ceremony!