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Support for Future Nurses

New ‘White Coat’ Initiative Benefits BSN Students

A past White Coat Ceremony The UT Tyler School of Nursing has established a new initiative for the school’s White Coat Ceremony — a traditional “rite of passage” event that is held at many nursing schools nationwide for BSN students beginning their professional nursing education.

Now, alumni, community members, current faculty and stakeholders can connect with future healthcare providers by donating the cost of a white coat. Each student who is provided a coat will have a card placed in the pocket that is a message from the donor.

The action is a significant and tangible way to support the future of nursing, while also alleviating students’ financial challenges, according to Dr. Barbara Haas, dean of the School of Nursing.

“This public rite of passage is important to students as it underscores the commitment they are making to the profession of nursing,” said Haas, the Drs. Roy and Lucy Mathis Chair in Nursing.

To make a donation, visit https://elevate.uttyler.edu/son-white-coats.

The White Coat Ceremony serves as a public acknowledgement of the student’s readiness to begin direct patient care and as an official welcome to the profession. The event typically consists of a keynote address, a “cloaking,” during which a white coat is placed on each individual student, and recitation of an oath. Students also are given a specially designed “Keeping Healthcare Human” pin that serves as a visual reminder of their oath and commitment to providing high quality care, Haas noted.

For more information, email Haas at bhaas@uttyler.edu or University Advancement development officer Amy Lively at alively@uttyler.edu.

History of the Tradition — Did You Know?

Dr. Arnold Gold was a professor at Columbia University for 58 years and a world-renowned pediatric neurologist with a giant heart. He — with the help of his colleagues, his wife, Sandra Gold, and the staff of The Arnold P. Gold Foundation — started a new ceremony: the White Coat Ceremony.
The White Coat Ceremony began in 1993 in Columbia University, through the work of The Arnold P. Gold Foundation. The White Coat Ceremony emphasizes compassion and the human connection from the very beginning of clinical training.
Today, nearly every medical school in America, over 360 nursing schools and many other health professions schools around the globe hold the White Coat Ceremony.
In 2013, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) collaborated with the Gold Foundation to provide grants to nursing schools to help sponsor White Coat Ceremonies. — From the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.
The UT Tyler School of Nursing was awarded the grant in 2018, and the inaugural event for the school was held in the fall that year. The ceremony has been held every semester since, even during the pandemic.

The School of Nursing plans to reinstate in-person ceremonies in fall 2021, Haas added.

Learn more about the UT Tyler School of Nursing.

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