BN Students' Pinning Ceremony

A pinning ceremony is a traditional part of many nursing institutions’ graduating events. The pinning formalizes the transition from student to professional nurse. The tradition itself has roots back to the 12th century but is more typically associated with Florence Nightingale, considered the founder of modern nursing, who presented medals of excellence to exemplary nursing graduates at her London school.

By the early 20th century, it became standard in North America to award all nursing graduates a pin to celebrate their successes as students and their futures in the profession.