The Alcorn State University Cora S. Balmat School of Nursing held a White Coat Ceremony on Thursday, March 3, 2025, marking a significant milestone for 101 nursing students entering clinical practice.
The ceremony, a rite of passage for those entering clinical education, saw students don their white coats and pledge their commitment to patient care. The white coat symbolizes professionalism, responsibility, and the knowledge required of a nurse. It reinforces the students’ dedication to delivering compassionate, ethical, and high-quality care.
Among the 101 students, 12 were graduate students, while the remaining students represented a mix of Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and Licensed Practical Nurse to Registered Nurse (LPN to RN) programs.
“It is with immense pride and heartfelt joy that we come together today to celebrate a defining milestone in your journey to becoming professional nurses,” said Shirley Evers-Manly, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor and Dean of the School of Nursing. “Today, as you don your white coats, you are not simply wearing a uniform. You are stepping into a legacy. This coat represents more than clinical practice—it represents the promise of care, the pursuit of excellence, and the deep calling to serve.”
Evers-Manly emphasized the values of holism, integrity, professionalism, multiplicity, accountability, competence, leadership, service, and collaboration, which she said are the foundation of the Alcorn nursing education.
The White Coat Ceremony, created in 1993 by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, underscores the importance of humanism in healthcare.
The ceremony comes as the nursing workforce is becoming more diverse, though Black/African American nurses remain underrepresented, making up about 6.7% of the registered nurse population, compared to 13.3% of the U.S. population, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Alcorn State University’s Cora S. Balmat School of Nursing recently jumped 52 spots to secure No. 77 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Online Nursing Programs. Last year, the school was ranked No. 129. The school is also ranked second in Mississippi.
For more information about the Alcorn State University Cora S. Balmat School of Nursing and its programs, visit the School of Nursing webpage.
