At Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU), new Faculty of Health Sciences Nursing Department students received their white uniforms, synonymous with their profession, at the 4th Uniform Wearing Ceremony, marking their first step into nursing.

The 4th Uniform Wearing Ceremony, organized by the Department of Nursing Fundamentals at OMU Atatürk Congress and Culture Center, was attended by Vice Rector and Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Murat Terzi, Vice Dean Assoc. Dr. Afitap Özdelikara, Head of Nursing Department Prof. Dr. İlknur Aydın Avcı, Vice Heads of Nursing Department Assoc. Dr. Oya Sevcan Orak, Dr. Figen Çavuşoğlu, nursing department academics, and their families.

Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Terzi: "Our students in OMU's Nursing Department graduate from an accredited department"

Speaking first at the ceremony that began with opening speeches, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Murat Terzi emphasized that the Nursing Department is one of the few accredited departments at the University, stating, "The students who will wear their uniforms today will move on to the 4th grade before they know it and we will be together again at their graduation. There is also a distinct excitement among the families of students who started the 1st grade in 2024. You will see that our students will graduate in 3 years with mastery of the knowledge provided by our professors, with developed care skills, and capable of empathizing with patients and their relatives. I am a witness to how diligently our Nursing Department faculty works. In addition to their successful efforts, they have built one of the rare accredited departments at our University. This success is reflected in our students' education. Students studying in OMU's Nursing Department are graduating from an accredited department. I thank all our professors for their efforts and wish our students success."

Head of Nursing Department Prof. Dr. Avcı: "We strive to provide the best education for our students by certifying our educational quality"

Nursing Department Head Prof. Dr. İlknur Aydın Avcı, noting that nursing is a profession that touches people, stated, "A uniform signifies belonging and ownership. Today, our students will experience the thrill of wearing their first uniforms to become part of the nursing profession. Our nursing department is among the leading and most quality-established departments in Türkiye. We strive to provide our students with the best education today by certifying our educational quality. Our strong faculty continuously improves and educates our students in accordance with the demands of the era. Additionally, all the facilities of our University are available to our students. Our graduates find employment and excel both in our country and abroad. The OMU Nursing Department's Uniform Wearing Ceremony is also a symbol of the value given to students and is one of the first of its kind in Türkiye. I share with you the pride of being a role model for Türkiye."

Dr. Alkan: "When you ask someone not in nursing to describe a nurse, the first thing they define is the uniform"

Dr. Lect. Member Seval Ağaçdiken Alkan, pointing out that the nurse's uniform has become an icon and symbol over the centuries, said, "When you ask someone not in nursing to describe a nurse, they directly define the uniform. We directly ask this question when first-year students join us. They join us fully aware of their roles and responsibilities, describing the uniform directly. Speaking about the students of the class of 2024, they have been diligently integrating their uniforms with their identities for the past ten months and are now ready to join us."

The nursing torch was passed to 73 first-year students

Following the speeches, a ritual of transferring the nursing torch was held for the 73 first-year students at the ceremony. In the ritual, the future nurses came on stage to receive the light of initiation into the profession from colleagues who portrayed Florence Nightingale and Safiye Hüseyin Elbi, pioneers of modern nursing in the world and our country.

The ceremony concluded with the presentation of uniform-wearing certificates as the teaching staff's official memento of the day to the students.

The 4th Uniform Wearing Ceremony of the Nursing Department ended with a commemorative photo session.