University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies graduate nursing students marked an important milestone in their professional journeys at the School’s Fall 2026 Advanced Practice White Coat Ceremony on October 2, 2026 at the Shalala Student Center Complex.
Dean Hudson Santos welcomed students, faculty, family members, and friends, describing the occasion as both a celebration of achievement and a recognition of the greater professional responsibilities that these students are preparing to assume as advanced practice nurses.
“For many of you, this moment represents the next chapter in a journey that began years ago at the bedside,” Santos said. “You have already answered the call to serve as nurses. Now you are preparing to answer an even greater call: to lead, to innovate, to diagnose, to treat, to advocate, and to help shape the future of healthcare.”
The ceremony recognized 250 students enrolled in the School’s Doctor of Nursing Practice, Master of Science in Nursing, and Post-Master’s Certificate programs. Dean Santos reflected on the significance of the white coat as a symbol not only of growing clinical expertise, but also of the trust patients place in advanced practice providers and the responsibility that accompanies practicing at the highest level of nursing.
He spoke about the role advanced practice nurses play in improving access to care, addressing workforce shortages, advancing population health, and transforming how health care is delivered. As students prepare to care for patients facing illness, uncertainty, and life-changing decisions, he reminded them that clinical competence alone will not define the care they provide.
“Your knowledge will matter. Your judgment will matter. And equally important, your humanity will matter,” Santos said.
Nichole Crenshaw, associate dean for graduate clinical programs, spoke about the challenges and opportunities ahead as students progress toward advanced practice.
“Your knowledge, judgment, and voice have the power to change lives and shape the future of healthcare,” Crenshaw said. “The journey ahead will challenge you. But it will also shape you into the advanced practice provider that you dream of becoming.”
Crenshaw then invited graduate nursing students and nurses in attendance to recite the School’s Ibis Nursing Pledge, affirming their commitment to compassionate, ethical, and evidence-based care; clinical excellence; lifelong learning; health equity and access to care; collaboration; and innovation.
Following the pledge, students were called to the stage to receive their white coats from nursing faculty. Crenshaw described the presentation of the coats as a passing forward of the knowledge, wisdom, and values of the nursing profession—and a symbol of the students’ responsibility to carry that legacy forward.
Santos closed the ceremony by thanking faculty, preceptors, family members, friends, and colleagues for supporting the students and reminding them that the significance of their white coats ultimately will be measured by the difference they make in the lives of others.
“The white coat you wear today is a symbol of expertise, leadership, and service,” he said. “But its greatest significance is not what it says about your accomplishments. It is what it says about your commitment.”
He encouraged students to remember that their greatest impact will come not from the credentials they earn, but from the patients who feel heard, families who feel supported, communities that gain access to better care, and colleagues strengthened by their leadership.
“Never stop asking how you can make healthcare better than you found it,” Santos told them.
The ceremony ended on a spirited note as the music started and Sebastian the Ibis made a surprise entrance, joining the newly coated students for a celebration of their achievement—and a heartfelt “Go Canes!”
2026 FALL WHITE COAT CEREMONY
