NP graduates earn White Coats

Photos by Lee Ferris

It was a celebration of both science and service on December 12, as more than 50 students from the Nurse Practitioner program gathered in the Dominican Center Chapel for the Winter 2025 White Coat Ceremony.

The graduates’ white coats were presented to them by their chosen family members, from spouses and children to parents and grandparents, symbolizing the support systems that helped them reach this milestone.

The ceremony reflected the students’ transition to the professional nurse practitioner role. Nurse practitioners are advanced practice nurses who provide high-quality healthcare services, with the ability to diagnose, treat, and prescribe across a wide range of health problems.

After welcome speeches by Professor Nancy Gartin-Checchi, Graduate Nursing Coordinator, and Dr. Robert Gervasi, President of the Mount, students and their families enjoyed a congratulatory message from Dr. Lynette DeBellis, associate professor of Nursing and Chair of the School of Nursing.

Dr. Gervasi reminded the graduates that their new title comes with a profound responsibility to the whole person, not just the patient’s physical ailments.

“The white coat is a symbol of competence, yes, but it must also be a symbol of conscience,” said Gervasi. “You are called to bring light to the shadows of illness, and to treat every individual with the dignity they deserve as children of God.”

Anne-Marie Uebbing, associate professor of Nursing and a certified Family Nurse Practitioner delivered the keynote address. She urged the new Nurse Practitioners to remember the humanity behind the science.

“Never lose sight of the art of nursing,” said Uebbing. “Guidelines and protocols are essential, but it is your empathy, your listening ear, and your advocacy that will truly heal those entrusted to your care.”

Graduate Sherene Williams was selected to discuss the group’s progression through the rigorous program. She highlighted the resilience of the Class of 2025.

“We are not the same people who walked into our first class,” said Williams. “We have been tested, we have been tired, but we have been transformed. We are ready to step into our communities and make a difference, not just as providers, but as partners in health.”

The sentiment of the class was further reflected in the ceremony program, where students shared their personal philosophies. As graduate Nicole Zazzero noted, the goal of the Nurse Practitioner is “to cure sometimes, to relieve often, and to comfort always.”