On Sat., April 30, 2022, the Anselmian community celebrated a special Saint Anselm tradition with the annual Nurse Pinning ceremony, a way to commemorate the nursing students’ hard work and accomplishments. This year, 88 senior nursing majors received their Saint Anselm College nurse’s pin. Family, friends, students, faculty, and staff gathered in the Abbey Church Saturday morning to commend the soon to be graduates on this momentous occasion.
Nursing Department Executive Director Dr. Maureen O’Reilly , Ph.D., RN, opened the event by telling the seniors that the pandemic “became the year of the nurse. You were strong, you were resilient, and you are here today.” This was followed by a welcome address from Joseph A. Favazza, Ph.D., president of the college who gave the seniors four lessons to follow in their professional careers. “Embrace change even when it’s difficult…open your heart to new learning…cultivate compassion and empathy…and believe in yourself.”
Student speaker, Colleen McConnell’22, reflected on her experience at nursing school. “The stress of the past four years has been astronomical but does not outweigh the immense joy that I have felt,” she said.
McConnell also spoke about the emergence of the pandemic and the struggles that the nursing students faced.
“Due to the unknown circumstances surrounding the pandemic, we were faced with fear and uncertainty. We were tasked with having to adapt to changes in the world around us along with changes in our education. We took finals online, conducted assessments via VSIM, and bonded with our peers and professors on Zoom. We learned to be flexible, resilient, and resourceful; all qualities of an exemplary nurse… an Anselmian nurse.”
She then closed off her speech with the hope that her fellow classmates remember the laughter, tears, stress, support, and relief that they have felt at Saint Anselm College.
Because the college celebrates tradition, the student nurses were dressed in white uniforms to receive their pins, just as they have done since the ceremony began in 1860. Blessed by Father Francis McCarty, O.S.B., they were presented to each graduating senior by Dr. Maureen O’Reilly and several nursing faculty: Professors Michele Moreau, Alicia Law, Joanna Parolin, and Pamela Preston.
The design of the pin features a shield, including elements of the official seal of the college and the symbol of the lamp, a reference to Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp of my steps and a light for my path.” The inscription, Initium Sapientiae Timor Domini, means "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." The pin is a symbol of the duty, hard work, and compassion that Saint Anselm nurses have.
Ann Manning ’22 was recognized with the Dr. Joanne K. Farley Award, and Gina Gagliardi ’22, was awarded the Student Nurse Leader Award in memory of Dr. Joyce Clifford.
The Dr. Joanne K. Farley Award honors Dr. Joanne K Farley, a 31-year member of the Saint Anselm College community. Dr. Farley represented the true nursing spirit of caring, leadership, and selfless service on the local, state, and national levels.
The Student Nurse Leader Award in memory of Dr. Joyce Clifford recognizes a student who embodies the qualities of Dr. Joyce Clifford, a compassionate, dedicated, visionary leader in the nursing profession. Dr. Clifford was a trustee of the college, one of the first graduates of the nursing program, and a longtime supporter of the nursing program at Saint Anselm. She was inducted into the Fellowship of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), the highest honor in nursing. Dr. Clifford developed the Primary Nursing Approach at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston in the 1980s.
The nursing class of 2022 then proceed to light the candles which they requested be placed around the Easter candle to honor and remember those they have cared for and loved ones that are no longer around.
The ceremony concluded as student nurses took the Nightingale Pledge, an oath to honor and respect their patients and profession. Following the ceremony, Abbot Mark Cooper, O.S.B., celebrated Mass.