HISTORY AND TRADITIONS

The Hampton University School of Nursing has prepared qualified nurses to serve humanity for more than a century.  The school was founded in 1891, and proudly holds the distinction of being the oldest continuous baccalaureate nursing program in the commonwealth of Virginia.  The program is designed to meet almost every student’s needs, by offering traditional baccalaureate degrees in Nursing and Health Sciences, master’s degrees in the roles of nurse practitioner, administrator, and educator, and a doctoral degree in family and family related nursing research or nursing education.

“We are very proud of our heritage and will continue to uphold the Standard of Excellence as we strive towards becoming the number one producer of multicultural nurses with advanced degrees in the United States,” said Dr. Shevellanie Lott, HU School of Nursing Dean. “Our administration and faculty are committed to ensuring the program continues for another 125 years.”

The School of Nursing’s pin is a representation of the middle of the Hampton University seal. The official seal was accepted in 1875 and only the name has changed as Hampton has evolved from the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute to Hampton Institute to Hampton University.

The symbols on the seal and the pin are a plow and sheaths of grain; books of knowledge surmounted by a globe of the world; a bible stand; and, an old-fashioned printing press. The sunrise over Hampton Creek symbolizes the rise of educational opportunities, and the boat on the water symbolizes the principal medium of transportation to Hampton during its early history.

The nurse’s cap was designed after a nurse’s habit, as a way to pay homage to the work of nuns as the earliest nurses. The cap’s original use of the nurse’s cap was to keep a female nurse’s hair neatly in place and present a professional appearance. Over the course of time the nurse’s cap evolved into two styles. One is a long nurse’s cap which covers most of the nurse’s head and the other is a short nurse’s cap which sits on top of the head.

The nurse’s cap has also had a ceremonial purpose. For many years the nurse’s cap was used in a ceremony for new nurses. The capping ceremony was instituted as a way to present a nurses cap to students who have completed school work prior to beginning hospital training.

The nurse’s cap has undergone several changes throughout the years. The origin of the cap was the habit that nuns wore. Over the years, the nurse’s cap has evolved from a large cap, which virtually covered the entire head of a nurse to the current version which is just a small cap which sits on top of the nurses head.

However, over the course of time, the nurse’s cap has been used less and less. In some hospitals, the cap is still used by nurses. However, due to concerns of the cap being a carrier of bacteria, the cap has been. Also, with the increasing number of men in the nursing profession, the nurse’s cap has gone away being replaced by nursing scrubs.

While the nurse’s cap is not widely used in the modern era, the cap still has an important place in the history of nursing. From the days to Florence Nightingale to the present day capping ceremonies, a nurse’s cap is a symbol of one of the noblest professions nursing.

The School of Nursing hosted it’s first White Coat Ceremony 1###.  The White Coat Ceremony was designed by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation (APGF) as a way to welcome new students into the medical profession and to set clear expectations regarding their primary role as physicians by professing an oath. Today, the Ceremony emphasizes the importance of compassion-ate care as well as scientific proficiency.

The first White Coat Ceremony took place in 1993 at the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. Grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 1996 and 1997 made widespread advocacy of the White Coat Ceremony possible.  The pin is personally placed on each student’s shoulders by individuals who believe in the students’ ability to carry on the noble tradition of doctoring. It is a personally delivered gift of faith, confidence and compassion.

To capitalize on the success of this widely hailed program and its positive impact on compassionate patient care, The Arnold P. Gold Foundation and AACN are supporting expanding the White Coat Ceremony to nursing.

In 2014 the APGF partnered with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) to provide support for piloting of the White Coat Ceremony at 100 nursing schools. The specially designed pin serves as a visual reminder of the students’ oath and commitment to provide compassionate and high quality care.