PirateQ 
The PSC Nursing Department pinned 72 new nurses this summer, including 11 graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and 61 graduates of the Associate in Science in Nursing program.
HCA Florida West Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Angela Ellis, MSN, RN, welcomed 72 new nurses into “the greatest profession in the world” during the Pensacola State College Summer Nurse Pinning Ceremony on Thursday, July 30, at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church.
The PSC Nursing Department’s latest cohort of graduates includes 11 who earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and 61 who earned an Associate in Science in Nursing.
In her keynote remarks, Ellis spoke to the graduates about the significance of receiving their pins beyond program completion.
“This pinning ceremony is one of nursing’s most cherished traditions. Long before graduation ceremonies became the norm, nurses were pinned to symbolize their commitment to the profession and the responsibility they were accepting,” she said. “Today, when you are pinned, your pin represents more than just completing this program. It represents the compassion, the sacrifice and the promise that you’re going to give caring for all of those in the most vulnerable times of their lives.”
Welcome and congratulatory remarks from PSC Health Sciences Assistant Dean Mitzie Sowell, Ph.D., serving as master of ceremonies, and PSC President Ed Meadows, Ed.D., preceded Ellis’ address.
Pensacola State College nursing graduates were honored during the Summer 2026 Nurse Pinning Ceremony on July 30 at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church in Pensacola.
“This is probably the most difficult program at our institution in terms of academic rigor and the number of hours you have put in to get to this place,” said Meadows, who encouraged the new nurses to reflect on the help they received from family and friends, as well as PSC faculty and staff. “This is a time when you’re reaping the fruits of your labor and the labor of all those who have supported you. The expectation is that you will pay that help forward.”
Ellis has served in nursing leadership at HCA Healthcare for more than 25 years. Before joining HCA Florida West Hospital in 2018, she served as the chief nursing officer at Terre Haute Regional Hospital in Indiana, where she helped launch the Level II trauma program. She is also a graduate of HCA Healthcare’s executive development program.
“The world needs nurses now more than ever,” she said to the graduates. “When you receive your pin today, wear it with pride, but also wear it with humility. Never stop learning. Never lose your compassion. Be the coworker that others want beside them on the hardest shift, and always remember that kindness is just as important as any clinical skill.”
Following Ellis’ address, the graduates received their nursing pins. They then took part in the traditional lamp-lighting ceremony, a time-honored tribute to Florence Nightingale’s legacy that symbolizes an enduring commitment to providing comfort and healing to those in a nurse’s care.
“I know this group will be courageous and compassionate,” Ellis said. “Welcome to the greatest profession in the world.”