Audience members roared as this year’s cohort of nursing students walked into Kendall Hall on Nov. 19 to receive their white lab coats. The annual ceremony formally welcomes sophomore nursing majors into the profession and marks an important milestone in their careers as they prepare for their first clinical rotations.
“It’s a big step in our career,” said Tanajah McCallum ’28. “It’s when we are finally stepping into the nursing field and actually using what we learned and applying it to our clinicals.”
Margo DelliCarpini, provost and vice president for academic affairs, opened the ceremony by addressing the students seated before her, reminding them of the importance of this meaningful tradition for nursing students.
The white lab coat, she explained, is more than a garment. “It is a promise to uphold the dignity of every patient, to advocate for those whose voices may not be heard, and to bring skill and heart to every clinical encounter,” DelliCarpini said.
Before students walked across the stage to receive their coats, they heard words of advice from Emma Cartnick ’26, a nursing major and president of the Student Nurses Association.
“There are going to be days when you work twice as hard to get half as far,” she said. “But I’ve learned that it is the dedication and motivation that you find within yourself to persevere and achieve greatness.”
One by one, students were called up by name to bring their white coats to nursing faculty who helped cloak each student, symbolizing the transition into their professional nursing careers.
Donned in their new coats, 91 students — 83 sophomores and eight students in the accelerated BSN program — took an oath pledging to uphold values of dignity, compassion, and trust when working with patients. They promised to apply their knowledge to the best of their abilities and to accept the duties and responsibilities entrusted to them.
For Sofia Antico ’28, the ceremony affirmed her reasons for pursuing this profession. “Putting on that coat reminded me of why I chose nursing in the first place — to care for people.”
Victoria D’Alessandro ’28 shared a similar sentiment. “This accomplishment made me realize how much I have grown since starting at TCNJ, and I’m excited to start clinicals in the spring,” she said.
— Leah Cruz ’26