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PCC Nurses’ Pinning Ceremony, May 10

May 10, 2012

Note: This event is open to the media, but is invitation-only and is not open to the public.

Tucson, AZ -- Pima Community College's Nursing Department on Thursday will honor 90 graduating students at a candlelight pinning ceremony at the Tucson Convention Center Grand Ballroom.

PCC's pinning ceremony is a time-honored rite of passage that stretches back more than 150 years to the Nightingale School of Nursing in London. The school's legendary founder, Florence Nightingale, honored her graduating students with a pin as a symbol of excellence.

In a profession long dominated by women, men comprise 20 percent of this year’s nursing graduates at PCC. Among them is Jesus Uribe, a 27-year-old native of Nogales, Arizona.

"I like making people feel better and helping others," said Uribe. "It doesn't bother me that it's a field dominated by women."

Uribe is part of a small but growing group of men entering the nursing field, according to a recent story in The New York Times. Data released by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing show that men represent 6.6 percent of the U.S. nursing workforce.

Uribe's interest in nursing was sparked after he took a couple of EMT courses. He received his EMT Certificate, Nursing Assistant Certificate, Practical Nurse Certificate and Crime Scene Management Certificate from Pima Community College before pursuing his associate of applied science degree in nursing.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, registered nurses are projected to add the largest number of new jobs among all occupations over the next eight years. It is expected that the number of employed nurses will grow from 2.74 million in 2010 to 3.45 million in 2020, an increase of 26 percent.

Uribe plans to receive a bachelor's in nursing and, eventually, a master of science in nursing. He is interested in working in an emergency room or intensive care unit of a hospital.

  • What:  Pima Community College Nursing Department Candlelight and Pinning Ceremony
  • When: Thursday, May 10, 2012, 4 p.m.
  • Where: Tucson Convention Center, Grand Ballroom, 260 S. Church Ave.

NOTE: Media are welcome to the event.  However, the ceremony is invitation-only and is not open to the public.