NURSING PINNING

Three Rivers Community College Nursing Pinning

Three Rivers Community College holds a Nursing Pinning Ceremony for each class of nursing graduates. At the end of each fall and spring semester, friends and family gather to watch their loved ones take the final step in becoming nurses. During the ceremony, the nursing graduates receive their nursing pin, which marks the completion of their degree and serves as a symbol of their readiness to become compassionate professional caregivers.

Nursing Pinning Ceremonies

TRCC Nursing Pinning Spring 2021

TRCC Nursing Pinning Fall 2020

TRCC Personal Nursing Pinning – Spring 2020

The Spring 2020 pinning ceremony was different than all that came before it because Covid-19 prevented a traditional ceremony. In place of a gathering at the campus, dedicated faculty drove to the homes of the graduates to personally present them with their pins, all while maintaining social distancing.

TRCC Nursing Pinning Fall 2019

TRCC Nursing Pinning Spring 2019

TRCC Nursing Pinning Fall 2018

TRCC Nursing Pinning Spring 2018

TRCC Nursing Pinning Fall 2017

TRCC Nursing Pinning Spring 2017

The History of Three Rivers Nursing Pinning

Nursing Pinning ceremonies are steeped in tradition and symbolism. They date back to the early 1800s when Nursing education took place in specialized training programs outside of the college setting. Since nurses then did not earn an academic degree, the pinning symbolized the completion of their education.

In 1975, Mohegan Community College graduated its first Nursing class. The graduates of this class were the designers of the nursing pin. (Note: In 1992, Mohegan Community College and Thames Valley State Technical College were combined to form Three Rivers Community College.) 

The design incorporated the college’s motto at that time, “peace through understanding, understanding through learning.” The dove with the olive branch in its mouth was taken from the college seal and is located at the bottom center of the pin. The dove represents peace and the olive branch represents learning.

In the center of the pin there is a caduceus (pronounced ka-doo-cee-us), an image of a wing-topped staff with two snakes intertwined. The two intertwined snakes represent symbols of fertility, wisdom and healing. The staff was carried by the ancient Greek heralds and ambassadors and represents truce, neutrality, and a noncombatant status. The caduceus has also long been the symbol of medical field.

Along the top edge, the pin bears the name of the College. Through the years, the names have changed to represent the name changes of the College.

The size of the pin has grown smaller over the years. This is due to the price in gold. Gold was chosen as the design material and color to represent achievement. Finally, the scalloped edge design is not completely understood but is thought to represent the challenges and successes of the nursing education experience.

Three Rivers is proud of all of our nursing graduates and wishes them successful and exciting careers as professional Registered Nurses. 

Nursing A.S.

Our Nursing program is highly competitive. Its outstanding results are credited to the great relationships developed between students and faculty. Graduates’ scores on the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) are consistently above the national average, with a three year average of over 93%. And, our graduates report a 100% job placement on the last three graduate surveys.

Learn more about the Three Rivers Nursing program here.