St. Gregory’s University School of Nursing Honors Nursing Students

(Shawnee, Okla. – September 12, 2016) On Thursday, Sep. 8, the St. Gregory’s University School of Nursing held a ceremony honoring its recent BSN graduates and a White Coat Ceremony welcoming new students into the nursing program.

Mary Diane Steltankamp, St. Gregory’s alumna and priests’ nurse with the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, told the story of Moses and the burning bush, highlighting the importance of realizing that spirituality is a key resource for healing.

“Spiritually is our deepest and most potent resource for healing,” said Steltenkamp. “We are invited to allow the bare feet of our spirit to touch the holy ground of our caregiving so that we are always able to hear God’s voice in the burning bush of our patient’s pain.”

RN to BSN graduate, Rebecca Williams, was thankful for her time as a St. Gregory’s student, as it offered the flexibility she desired to enhance her skills while continuing her already established career as a nurse and mother of three.

“I came to this program after ten years of being an associate degree nurse and wanted to have an opportunity to grow my skills. I was looking specifically for a program that did have class time for accountability and for the comradery with my fellow students and I found that at St. Gregory’s,” said Williams. “During the ceremony, I felt like we received due recognition for where we are in our careers and that we are trying to enhance and continue to grow on that. The ceremony for the new nurses about to embark on their nursing studies was very inspiring as well.”

St. Gregory’s nursing faculty cloaked students in the white coats that they will wear throughout their nursing education. The white coats symbolize the importance of providing compassionate care among health professionals.

 “I thought the white coat ceremony was outstanding, and the speakers were amazing,” said Joe Thornburg, a St. Gregory’s nursing student. “I’m most excited about getting to learn more about my profession and gaining the skills that I’ll use to help people throughout my career.”

For more information on the School of Nursing, contact St. Gregory’s at 1-844-BE EXTRA, nursing@stgregorys.edu or visit www.stgregorys.edu/nursing. 

Click here to view more photos from the ceremony.