September 23, 2024
CLEVELAND, Ga. — Truett McConnell University’s Rielin & Salmen School of Nursing proudly hosted its annual White Coat Ceremony on Tuesday, Sep. 17, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. in Odell Hall. This significant event honored the Nursing Class of 2026 as they begin their journey into the nursing profession, embodying the values of compassion, professionalism, and Christian service.
The White Coat Ceremony, a rite of passage for nursing students, symbolizes the commitment to patient-centered care and lifelong learning. The evening commenced with a warm welcome from Dr. Heather Ayers, Chair of the Rielin & Salmen School of Nursing. President Dr. Emir Caner provided the invocation and opening remarks, highlighting the importance of integrating faith with compassionate care in the nursing field.
“As we invite another nursing cohort into the Rielin & Salmen School of Nursing, we are excited to be eyewitnesses to the personal and professional transformation as they grow academically and spiritually to walk in the calling the Lord has placed on their lives. To become a Truett nurse is to recognize nursing as a ministry to serve others with compassion and humility, yet being intimately aware of the greatest calling, which is to serve and love them as Our Lord and Saviour did. This requires a yielding of our own will to the will of the Lord, so that in all we do, we live out the Great Commission and bring those who walk in darkness into His marvelous light and eternal salvation,” she said later.
This year’s keynote address was delivered by Dr. Mael L. D. S. Disseau, Vice President for Academic Services at TMU and the Charles F. Stanley Endowed Chair of Theology. Dr. Disseau encouraged students to uphold the highest standards of ethical and compassionate care, rooted in the Great Commission.
The ceremony concluded with a benediction by Dr. Rick Austin, Dean of the College of Health and Sciences, and the nursing students recited a pledge to serve humanity with excellence and integrity in their future nursing careers.
Nursing Class of 2026 Honorees:
