December 15, 2019

Elms College holds white coat ceremony honoring DNP students 

REGIONAL
Staff report

Members of the Elms College doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program, Class of 2021, received their white coats at a special ceremony held on Dec. 4. The white coats signify their entry into the year-long clinical training phase of the program, which begins in January 2020. The DNP students, all Massachusetts residents, are (l-r): Kristin Shelsy of Hinsdale, Amanda Desormeaux of Pittsfield, Paige LaFountain of Easthampton, Salvatore Dimino of Westfield, Kimberly Starr of Charlemont, Molly Pennell LaFortune of Granby, Amy Burke of Warren, Sophia Hayward of Chicopee, Shawn Selby of Hatfield, Jennifer Rubino of Great Barrington, Rosa Feldman of Amherst, Brianna Cavanaugh of Belchertown, Suzy-Ann Baker of Springfield, Mohamed Turay of West Springfield, Sharifa Muhammed Bayer of Springfield, Caitlin Mathers of Easthampton, and Michelle Bedard of Adams. 

CHICOPEE – The College of Our Lady of the Elms School of Nursing hosted its fifth annual white coat ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 4, honoring the fifth cohort of students in the college’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program. The 17 students who received their white coats at the ceremony started in the DNP program in the fall of 2018.

“This ceremony has become a tradition for the nurse practitioner students in the DNP program and marks a significant milestone in their studies as they begin their advanced nursing practice clinical experiences,” said Teresa Kuta Reske, director of the DNP Program at Elms College. In January 2020, the DNP students will begin their clinical rotations specific to their advanced nursing specialty concentrations at regional healthcare facilities and in practice settings.

The DNP white coat ceremony included opening remarks from dean of the School of Nursing, Kathleen B. Scoble; remarks from Elms College president, Harry E. Dumay; a blessing of the white coats and the presentation of the coats to the students.

New to this year’s ceremony was a “Blessing of the Hands,” which is a special prayer to bless the hands of the DNP students as they care for patients, symbolizing one of the fundamental aspects of healthcare – the human touch. 

“In today’s healthcare system, you will play an important role in the continuum of care, no matter whether your work is clinical or administrative,” said Dumay in his speech to the DNP students. “Our healthcare system has been rapidly changing and, as our population ages, the need for primary care providers and effective, efficient leadership continues to increase.” 

“The Elms College DNP program addresses the growing need for advanced practice nurses in adult and family care,” said Scoble. “Through this invaluable experience, graduates of our DNP program have mastered the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the challenges of our complex healthcare system.” 

The keynote speaker was Dr. George Deering III, adjunct clinical professor in the DNP program. He earned his medical degree from UMass Medical School and completed his internal medicine residency at Berkshire Medical Center (BMC). Deering practiced at BMC as a full-time emergency physician until his retirement in 2015. For the last three years, he has been an adjunct DNP faculty instructor in advanced pathophysiology for the Elms College School of Nursing.

The DNP degree is a clinical practice doctorate in an advanced specialty of nursing practice.

“In May 2021, these 17 DNP graduates will be eligible to take the advanced certification examination in one of the two specialty concentrations: family nurse practitioner or adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner,” said assistant dean of graduate programs and RN studies, Andrew Storer. “The School of Nursing also offers a DNP degree for master’s prepared nurses in the Health Systems Innovation and Leadership concentration.”

The School of Nursing at Elms College is ranked a Top Ten Nursing program in Massachusetts by both https://nurse.org and https://niche.com.