SUNY Poly holds white-coat ceremony for 88 graduate students

MARCY, N.Y. — SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) on Friday recognized 88 graduate students in its family nurse practitioner and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner programs during a white-coat ceremony. The ceremony marked the completion of the instructional portion of the students’ programs and the beginning of their clinical practice. The white-coat ceremony “serves as a rite of passage” in health-care education, “emphasizing the importance of compassion, professionalism, and ethical responsibility alongside clinical excellence,” per the SUNY Poly announcement. SUNY Poly President Winston Soboyejo addressed the students, their families, and ceremony attendees. Following his remarks, students donned their white coats and collectively recited the nurses’ oath, “publicly affirming their commitment to patient-centered care,” the school said. “The White Coat Ceremony marks an important beginning for our students and a powerful commitment to the values that define healthcare,” Soboyejo said in the announcement. “From the very start of their training, they affirm that compassion and humanism are essential to nursing excellence. As they take their oath and don the white coat, they accept a profound responsibility to care for patients with skill, empathy, and integrity. This ceremony reminds us that the white coat is not a symbol of status, but of service, trust, and accountability to the communities we serve.” The white-coat ceremony tradition “highlights the importance of humanism” in health-care education and to reinforce the ethical obligations of those entering the profession, SUNY Poly noted. At SUNY Poly, the ceremony reflects the institution’s commitment to preparing healthcare professionals who lead with both expertise and empathy.