AACN & Gold Foundation Announces Nursing Schools ReceivingSupport for White Coat Ceremonies

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 19, 2019 - Today, The Arnold P. Gold Foundation (APGF) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) announced that 50 schools of nursing across the nation were selected to receive funding to host White Coat Ceremonies for incoming nursing students in the 2019-2020 academic year. Since 2013, AACN and the Gold Foundation have collaborated to provide support and technical assistance to 360 schools of nursing in 49 states to offer ceremonies designed to inspire a commitment to providing compassionate, patient-centered care among students entering the nursing profession.

"AACN has been an invaluable partner is expanding our White Coat Ceremony to hundreds of nursing schools," said Dr. Richard Levin, President and CEO of The Arnold P. Gold Foundation. "We hope this iconic ritual will provide future nurses with a touchpoint of humanism that they can reflect and rely on as they face the inevitable challenges and joys of caring for patients with compassion."

Six years ago, AACN and the Gold Foundation announced a bold new partnership that would introduce White Coat Ceremonies to schools of nursing.  These ceremonies, which had long been a rite of passage for students entering medical school, would now be presented at nursing schools with generous support from the Myron and Elaine Adler Private Foundation. The Adlers understood that embedding humanism in health care, while resting on the shoulders of many, would not be possible without a strong commitment to compassionate care by physicians, nurses, and other members of the healthcare team.

View a listing of schools selected to receive funding for their White Coat Ceremonies this year.

"Nursing has always recognized the great impact that a strong concern for human welfare - coupled with a knowledge of science - can have on the care of patients, families, and communities," said Dr. Ann Cary, Chair of the AACN Board of Directors. "We applaud our colleagues with  the Gold Foundation and the Adlers for supporting this visionary effort that promotes excellence in healthcare delivery and interprofessional engagement."

For more information about this program, contact AACN Nursing Education Policy Coordinator Jabari Cooper at jcooper@aacnnursing.org.