The 24 students who were Capped and Striped
The students are reciting the Nurses' Prayer.
The capping ceremony is nursing tradition that goes back to the days when nurses wore caps and their cap identified the nursing school they graduated from. Each school had its own destinctive design. Students are capped at a particular time in their studies when they are recognized as being successful to that point. We include 'striping' in the Winifred J. Harley College of Health Sciences ceremony. For each year of study in the three year program, a stripe is added to their student nurse uniform. These students now have 2 strips.
After being capped and striped, the students light a candle and recite a nurse's prayer. The candle represents Florence Nightengale who is known as the Lady of the Lamp for when she would check the ward of wounded Crimean War soldiers late into the night.
This was a special day for the nursing students. Parents come to the school for the day to participate and help recognize their accomplishments so far. The guest speaker for the program was the Hon. Jackson Findor, a member of the Liberian House of Representatives who is a nurse and graduated from 'Winifred' in 1979. After a lunceon, they all relaxed with some sports - the women played kickball and the male students played soccor against another local college.
It was a great day and a refreshng weekend without clinical practice and studies...I know they all were glad for the free time for now its back to the books and midterms this week! We wish them this best for the rest of this semester.
