SILVER CITY, NM – Thirty-two nursing student took part in a Purple Coat Ceremony to mark the start of their clinical education and commit themselves to compassionate care, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.

The ceremony was modeled on the White Coat Ceremony, which was initiated in 1993 at Columbia University. Today, nearly every medical school in the United States, hundreds of nursing schools, and many other health profession schools participate in the tradition.

The ceremony is designed as a rite of passage to emphasize the importance of compassionate patient care at the very start of training. Students recite an oath, dedicating themselves to providing the highest quality care and services. In addition to the oath, students come forward to be "cloaked" before family and friends. While a white coat is usually symbolic of the health care field, at WNMU, students receive a purple scrub jacket, consistent with the university's colors.

According to Professor of Nursing Krista Wood, who opened the event, the ceremony "serves to welcome these students to nursing practice and it emphasizes the importance of compassionate patient care."

The keynote speaker for the Purple Coat Ceremony was Marisa Gallardo (BSN '19), who serves as the infection prevention and employee health nurse at Gila Regional Medical Center.

Gallardo told students that in their nursing program, they would "learn not only skills needed to provide excellent patient care but also the importance of empathy, communication and teamwork."

She emphasized that at WNMU, they would have a supportive team of professors and fellow students. "Nursing education is rigorous, but it is also incredibly supportive," she said. "You are surrounded by individuals who are just as committed to your success as you are."