Oahu Event Photography: University of Hawaii Nurses Pinning Ceremony Graduation

This blog post is way overdue. Back in December, we photographed the University of Hawaii School of Nursing's Honors or Pinning Ceremony. The students wanted outdoor portraits with family and friends prior to the ceremony, coverage of the event and reception. At the ceremony, a family member presents a lei with a special pin to the graduate after he or she has received the diploma from the Dean. The ceremony also included the students reading the Nightingale Pledge accompanied by the beautiful candle lighting ceremony. Below is some history about Florence Nightingale and the Candle lighting ceremony courtesy of http://www.accd.edu/SAC/NURSING/honors.html

Florence Nightingale, an English nurse and pioneer reformer, was born in Florence, Italy in 1820 and died 8/13/1910. Many modern nursing techniques can be traced back to her. History was made during the Crimean War when Florence took 38 women to Turkey to nurse sick and wounded British soldiers. The British government had never before permitted women to do this. Because of her selfless duty during the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale became known as the "lady with the lamp." As a tribute to Florence's dedication, the lamp icon became symbolic of nursing. The lamp will always shine brightly as a symbol of the care and devotion the nurse administers to the sick and injured in the practice of Nursing.

Thus, nursing students honor the dedication of Nurse Nightingale and symbolically plan to carry the ideals for which she stood in the Candle lighting portion of the pinning ceremony. The tradition of Candle lighting and Pledge recognizes her ideals.