Mississippi College Nursing Students Attend White Coat Ceremonies

Mississippi College School of Nursing students Lorrie Laird of Kodiak, Alaska, Taylor Lindley of LaGrange, Georgia, Samantha Olivent of Nesbit, MS and Erin Hamilton of Brandon, MS showed off their new white coats at ceremonies on the Clinton campus Monday. The White Coat event showcased the 39 MC nursing students headed to clinical duties. The students recognized during the program at Anderson Hall on September 29 are on track to graduate in May 2016.

A big heart for others led Erin Hamilton of Brandon to study nursing at Mississippi College.

“I’ve always had a calling to care for people and show God’s love,” says Hamilton, a Brandon High graduate and member of the Class of 2016 at MC’s School of Nursing.

Erin was among 39 MC students taking part in the School of Nursing’s first White Coat ceremonies. The event signals the big step for students to begin hands on experiences in clinical rotations at hospitals, community service projects and clinics.

They should be well-trained for the medical assignments immediately ahead and the nursing profession in future years, says MC School of Nursing graduate Hannah Sexton. The December 2013 graduate is a nurse at the Baptist Healthplex in Clinton.

“You have great professors here,” Sexton told nursing students and family members attending the program at Anderson Hall on the Clinton campus. “Wear your white coats proudly. You earned it.”

Based at Cockroft Hall, the School of Nursing “gives you the skills to make it in the workforce,” she said. But it all takes a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication to make it to graduation day. Hannah recalls her days as a student when she studied until 5 a.m. and then showed up for classes. It’s been worth it for her. “I love my job.”

President Lee Royce spoke of the success stories of well-prepared Mississippi College nursing graduates.

During his presidency since 2002, he’s talked with dozens of nurses earning diplomas at Mississippi College. Their assessment of their Mississippi College School of Nursing education, Dr. Royce said, “is always extremely positive. We pray for God’s blessing as you go forward.”

Whether they are students like Lorrie Laird, who traveled from Kodiak, Alaska to receive her education here, or Sarah-Kate Rowan, whose hometown is Clinton, the group is joining a noble profession with many demands. But it also comes with many personal rewards.

“View nursing as a journey, not a destination,” said guest speaker Rosalyn Howard, executive director of the Mississippi Nurses Foundation. It’s a profession that is a lifelong passion for people in the field, she noted.

During ceremonies, the students recited the White Coat oath promising to dedicate themselves to providing the highest quality care and services, to act in a Christian manner and accept the responsibilities of lifelong learning. They also vowed to serve as advocates striving to protect the health and safety of all individuals.

Why did Mississippi College student Sunny Gustafson, 21, of Collierville, Tennessee go into nursing? She’s summed it up in four words. “I love helping people.”