Nursing News

FGCU Inaugural DNP Nurse Anesthesiology Program White Coat Ceremony

March 03, 2022  / Article by Trudi-Ann Dyer, FGCU Marieb College of Health and Human Services  / Tags: FGCU, White Coat Ceremony, Gold Foundation, Class of 2023, FGCU NURSING, B.S.N. to D.N.P. - Nurse Anesthesiology

There was not a dry eye in the house at the inaugural Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Anesthesia (DNP NA) White Coat Ceremony. The ceremony was initially planned for August 2021 however it was postponed due to Covid-19. Dr. Virginia Londahl-Ramsey, DNP NA Assistant Program Director stated that even though she was disappointed that the ceremony did not take place in the fall, she felt that the January 27th, 2022 ceremony was even more meaningful for the students after being in clinicals for five months. This ceremony allowed the nursing students to embrace leadership and celebrate becoming an advanced provider.
 
The monumental event for the DNP NA Class of 2023 cohort consisted of the presentation of white coats by DNP NA Program Director Dr. Rosann Spiegel along with Dr. Londahl-Ramsey to twenty-four students. The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Loureen Downes, the Director for the school’s Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program. Students also received a pin and recited the Oath to Compassionate Patient Care, which promotes the advocacy and protection of patient health, safety and rights. 

One of the most special moments of the ceremony was when the DNP NA students surprised Dr. Spiegel by presenting her with a bronze plate with an eagle to show their appreciation.

The ceremony was made possible by a grant from the Gold Foundation. The organization established the White Coat Ceremony in 1993 to “highlight the importance of humanism in all care of patients”. Moving forward, the students will now advance to their specialty roles which includes cardiac anesthesiology, spinal taps, epidural and pediatric anesthesiology.