Angela Prestia, Ph.D., RN, NE-BC, addressed the freshman nursing students at the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, The occasion which took place on September 19, 2014, was the Inaugural White Coat Ceremony.This ceremony serves to instill a commitment to provide compassionate care among future health professionals. This program was funded by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, and FAU is the only one of 100 nursing schools throughout the U.S. selected to receive this honor.
Dr. Prestia, the Chief Nursing Officer at Good Samaritan Medical Center, West Palm Beach, delivered the keynote address entitled ‘Secrets of the White Coat: Revealed’. Highlighted in her speech was the importance of the nursing profession and its distinct body of knowledge in patient-centered care.
Over 250 people attended including the students, their families and friends, faculty and other invited guests. The students received a lamp of knowledge in honor of Florence Nightingale and their nursing pins along with their white coats.
