Joe Martin of Allegiance Home Health and Advisory Board Member of FAU College of Nursing Attends Inaugural White Coat Ceremony
Boca Raton, FL, September 19, 2014 – Joe Martin, Vice President of Allegiance Home Health and Advisory Board member of Florida Atlantic University College of Nursing attends Inaugural White Coat Ceremony. The event took place on the Boca Raton campus of the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing to celebrate and install the first freshman class of nursing students. Mr. Martin states, “It is so exciting to share this special day with the future leaders of our health care system. This nursing program is very unique with its caring based curriculum combined with its distinguished faculty. I am proud to be an Advisory Board member of such an impressive program.”
The White Coat Ceremony instills a commitment to provide compassionate care among future health professionals. This program, funded by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation (APGF) and the American Association of College of Nursing (AACN), promotes humanistic, patient-centered care among incoming nursing students. Only 100 schools of nursing throughout the U.S. were selected to receive funding support to pilot White Coat Ceremonies in Nursing. The APGF and the AACN provided students with the gift of the Humanism Lapel Pins.
The APGF: As a growing, international not-for-profit organization has a critical mission: to optimize the experience and outcomes of health care for both patients and practitioners by promoting care that is as humanistic as it is technologically sophisticated. The APGF works with physicians and nurses in training and in practice, as well as other members of the health care team, to instill a culture of respect, dignity and compassion for both patients and professionals. When skilled practitioners build caring, trusting and collaborative relationships with patients, studies reveal more appropriate medical decisions, better patient adherence with treatment plans, and less costly healthcare outcomes.
The inaugural class of direct entry freshmen into the College of Nursing consists of 98 students. These students come from all geographic areas in which half are from underrepresented ethnic minority groups. Some of the surrounding areas represented are Coral Springs, Deerfield Beach, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie and of course Boca Raton. Others areas represented include New Jersey, New York and Texas.
After a welcome and introduction by Dr. Marlaine C. Smith, Dean and Helen K. Persson Eminent Scholar each student received a white coat, a humanism lapel pin and a nightingale lamp. Immediately following the White Coat Ceremony Oath was recited.
The keynote address titled Secrets of the White Coat: Revealed was given by Angela Prestia, Chief Nursing Officer of Good Samaritan Medical Center. Ms. Prestia is completing her doctoral studies in nursing at the FAU College of Nursing and has over 37 years of experience in the field of nursing. She gave an emotional and highly motivating rendition of a typical day in the life of a nurse.
