Students in the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies marked their entry into clinical practice at the ceremony. The biannual event at Fairfield University’s Austin campus honors nursing students and promotes commitment to patient-centered values.

Twenty-two students in the Accelerated Second Degree Nursing program participated in the event.

Dean Meredith Wallace Kazer, PhD, APRN, FAAN, welcomed the Class of 2025. In her opening remarks, she encouraged the future nurses to become leaders in compassionate care, a term she defined by way of examples: “It is gently holding a preterm infant to your heart; it is singing a song while administering painful intervention; it is dropping to your knees to pray alongside a mother who has lost her child; it is the squeeze of wrinkled hand, awakening from sleep.”

Guest speaker and Fairfield alumnus Michael Turturro ’83, DNP, MBA, MHSA, MSM, BSN, RN, AMB-BC, commended students on their decision to enter the nursing profession. “You now represent one of the most honorable and trusted careers,” he said. “As a nurse, you will stand alongside patients in hospitals and outpatient settings — talking with them, answering their questions, and advocating for them when necessary.”

In his keynote address, Dr. Turturro encouraged students to view nursing education as a lifelong pursuit, one that continuously builds on the solid foundation of their Fairfield experience: “Build your confidence, get good at what you do, then keep going to hone your skills through more education and certification in what you do best.”

The most anticipated moment of the evening came when Associate Professor of Practice Robin Cook, PhD, RNC-OB, presented students with their timepieces. “The fob watch is traditionally gifted upon entering the nursing profession,” Dr. Cook explained. “It was adopted in nursing because its characteristic upside-down face allows nurses to keep their hand free while performing assessments.” Students were called forward individually to receive their watches.

The ceremony was an inspirational and meaningful affair. Students affirmed their commitment to the high ideals of Fairfield University, the Egan School, and the nursing profession, by pledging themselves to the welfare of patients and to the values of justice, integrity, and excellence.

After closing remarks, students joined family, friends, and alumni at a post-ceremony reception, where there was an abundance of hugs, handshakes, and smiles.