The pin of the Master of Nursing Program is based on the coat of arms of Yale
University. The arms first appeared in the early eighteenth
century as the central device upon the seal of Yale College. According to
documents from the Office of the Secretary of the University:
"The use of Hebrew characters identifies the book as the Bible. The inscription
"Urim and Thummim" refers to the names of sacred lots, cast
for the
purpose of ascertaining the divine will (cf. Exodus 28:30; Numbers 27:21, 1
Samuel 14:40 f. ; Ezra 2:63).
"When the Old Testament was translated into Greek in the third century
B.C., the literal meaning of the terms Urim and Thummim was no longer clear.
Several different words were used to translate them. Among the ancient renderings
given were "Light" and "Truth", the interpretations
that the
unknown designer chose for the seal-legend and placed outside the
shield in Latin:
Lux et Veritas. It is not known why these particular interpretations were chosen."
For the Master of Nursing pin, the Yale University coat of arms was placed within
the shape of a shield and the letters Y.S.N. added.
Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) Pin (1956-present)
The pin of the Master of Science of Nursing Program is based on the coat
of arms designed by Professor Theodore Sizer for the Yale University
School of Nursing banner. The details were agreed upon and the pin first
worn in 1966. The pin is a round 10K gold disc with
the
white cross of the Knights of St. John enamelled on a black background. A
blue Y is superimposed on the cross.
Source: Helen Varney Burst, Yale University School of
Nursing: A Brief History, 1998.
