BN Students' Pinning Ceremony

Our pinning ceremony formalizes your transition from student to professional nurse

On June 3, 2025, the Faculty of Nursing held its annual Pinning Ceremony at MacEwan Hall for the Class of 2025. Hundreds of nursing students, family, friends along with UCalgary Nursing faculty and staff gathered together to commemorate the occasion before convocation.

Alumni All-Access Partnership Fund

This event is proudly supported by the UCalgary Alumni All-Access Partnership Fund.

A pinning ceremony is a traditional part of many nursing institutions’ graduating events. The ceremony formalizes the transition from student to professional nurse. The tradition itself has roots back to the 12th century but is 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 future in the profession.

At UCalgary Nursing, the Pinning Ceremony celebrates this key milestone with our new graduates, their family and friends. It’s an important tradition and one we’re proud to be a part of since 2018.

Photo by Adrian Shellard

Please email us if you have any questions at nconnect@ucalgary.ca

On May 30, the Faculty of Nursing held its Pinning Ceremony in the MacEwan Ballroom for the Class of 2024. More than 300 nursing students, family, friends and UCalgary Nursing faculty and staff gathered together to commemorate the occassion before convocation.

Student and family pose in front of nursing banner.

Students post for a selfie on stage at Pinning Ceremony

Speaker on stage at Pinning Ceremony as students read nursing pledge.

Students get pinned by instructors and alumni

Students crossing stage at pinning ceremony event.

Alumni co-president speaks on stage behind podium.

Associate dean undergraduate education speaks to crowd behind podium

Dean of Faculty of Nursing at podium speaking at Pinning Ceremony.

Students and family and friends seated in MacEwan Ballroom prior to event.

Three women posing while an onlooker takes a photo on cell phone.

Two women posing in front of photo backdrop.

Staff and alumni at registration table for Pinning Ceremony event.

On May 29, the Faculty of Nursing held its Pinning Ceremony at EEEL, the first-time back in-person for the full program since COVID. Students read their International Council of Nurses' Pledge and celebrated with family, friends and classmates before attending convocation.

On May 30, the Faculty of Nursing hosted graduands and their families before the convocation ceremony in Professional Faculties and students picked up their Class of 2022 nursing pins, enjoyed treats and alumni swag and mingled with each other.

In 2021, June convocation was held virtually and November convocation was in-person but we continued to suspend the in-person Pinning Ceremony.

Due to the increasing instances of COVID-19 in Alberta and those on the UCalgary campus, we've cancelled our 2021 in-person nursing pin distribution. All pins will be mailed.

In 2020, we went virtual for both June and November convocation and there was no Pinning Ceremony. See all the stories and digital yearbook and video messages below.