Published July 30, 2021 WASHINGTON, D.C., July 29, 2021 – Today, The Arnold P. Gold Foundation and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) announced that 50 schools of nursing nationwide were selected to receive funding to host White Coat/Oath Ceremonies for incoming students in the 2021-2022 academic year. Through this collaboration, the two organizations are highlighting the importance of compassionate care to nursing students early in their professional formation.
“The compassionate connection that nurses forge with their patients is the foundation of humanistic healthcare – care that all people deserve. We are delighted to join with AACN to support 50 schools of nursing in establishing this humanistic ritual and emphasizing the importance of the human connection in their future care,” said Dr. Richard I. Levin, President and CEO of the Gold Foundation.
“Quality health care is not possible without compassion,” said Dr. Deborah Trautman, AACN President and Chief Executive Officer. “Academic nursing is grateful to the Gold Foundation for their groundbreaking work to help all members of the healthcare team understand the importance of delivering patient-centered care.”
When nurses and other healthcare providers build caring, trusting, and collaborative relationships with patients, studies reveal a connection to better care decisions, improved patient adherence to treatment plans, and less costly healthcare outcomes. Though White Coat/Oath Ceremonies are not new in the health professions, they are relatively new to nursing. Since 2013, AACN and the Gold Foundation have worked together to implement this rite of passage in nursing, which has resulted in 410 schools of nursing in 50 states including the District of Columbia, receiving support as part of this initiative.
While these seeding grants are limited each year, all nursing schools are eligible to receive Gold lapel pins for their nursing students participating in White Coat/Oath Ceremonies. The pins include a signature Gold loop, which represents the essential bond between clinicians and patients, and serve as a reminder of their ceremony. (Schools may apply for free pins here.) The Gold Foundation also releases a free toolkit of downloadable resources each year to support all nursing schools in their White Coat/Oath Ceremony.
View a list of nursing schools selected to receive funding from the Gold Foundation to offer White Coat/Oath Ceremonies in the Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 semesters. For more information about this program, contact AACN’s Government Affairs and Policy Coordinator Emily Turek at eturek@aacnnursing.org.