More than a dozen students from the Mount Saint Mary College Nurse Practitioner program were honored at a White Coat Ceremony on Friday, December 9.
The graduates’ white coats were presented to them by their chosen family members, from spouses and children to parents and grandparents.
The ceremony reflected the transition of the nurses to the professional nurse practitioner role. Nurse practitioners are advanced practice nurses who provide high quality healthcare services. They can diagnose, treat, and prescribe across a wide range of health problems.
After welcome speeches by Dr. Jason N. Adsit, president of the Mount, and George Abaunza, vice president of Academic Affairs, students and their families enjoyed a congratulatory message from Elaine Suderio-Tirone, assistant professor of Nursing.
“I have watched your journey through this program and I have seen your struggles through the pandemic,” she said. “But your unwavering dedication brought you to where you are now.”
Melissa Haydt of Beacon, N.Y., a fellow graduate, was selected to discuss the group’s progression through the rigorous Mount program: “There are no words for the level of dedication, hard work, time, and tears that we have put in and successfully rose to the moment today,” she said.
After the graduates received their white coats, Tam Lam of Marlboro, N.Y. was recognized for excellence in her studies and skills with both the Sigma Award and the Sr. Leona DeBoer Graduate Nursing Award.
Fr. Gregoire Fluet, chaplain and director of Campus Ministry at the Mount, closed out the ceremony with the Blessing of the Hands. As nurse practitioners, he noted, the graduates’ hands are their most important healing tool.