Nursing Student Volunteers Have Rewarding Experiences at NICU Reunion
Top Image: (From left) Nursing students Ava Fleming, Kimberly Salgado, Claudia Byun and Joy Park volunteered at this year’s NICU Reunion. (Image: Kat Zambon/GUMC)
(September 20, 2024) — Motivated by their interest in pediatrics and dedication to service, School of Nursing students volunteered September 7 at the NICU Reunion and Family Fun Day at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, home to the only level IV neonatal intensive care facility in the Washington, D.C., region.
For more than two decades families like the Pavlicks have returned to celebrate their children’s lives post-NICU with doctors and other past patients. (Image: Stu Hubbard/MedStar Health)
For more than 20 years, hundreds of NICU graduates and their families have attended the reunion. At the 2024 event, attendees enjoyed games, raffles, bounce houses, an ice cream cart, a photo booth, face painting, clowns and balloon animals, while health care providers celebrated how far their former patients had come.
“Seeing health care workers reunite with past patients and families is a beautiful sight,” said Claudia Byun (N’25), a BSN student with an interest in pediatrics and volunteer organizer. “It just goes to show the impact that we have the potential to make, and that is what we are studying hard and working towards.”
“I love the NICU reunion because it is one of the most rewarding experiences I have had as a nursing student,” Byun added. “Each year I do it, I leave feeling so happy and confident in my decision to pursue nursing.”
Seeing NICU Graduates Thrive
(From left) Maya Singhal, Summer Sardona and Celine Glavan volunteered at the event with fellow nursing students. (Image: Kat Zambon/GUMC)
Going into the reunion as a volunteer, Summer Sardona (N’28) wanted to learn about the lasting effect being treated in the NICU has on patients and their families. “As a first-year nursing student, it allowed me to see the long-term impact of neonatal care and how it can change the lives of people during the milestone of welcoming a new addition to their families,” said Sardona, a BSN student.
Sardona helped reunion attendees enter raffles for prizes including sports goods and grocery store gift cards, watching as families encouraged their children to write their names and contact information on the entry forms.
“It was touching to think that these children were once NICU babies and now they are thriving and enjoying childhood,” she said. “It’s a fulfilling experience to see the smiles on their faces, especially the health care staff, as they reunite and look back on the bittersweet moments they went through together.
Planning a Pediatric Nursing Career
The Hardaway-Branch family enjoyed the NICU Reunion and Family Fun Day activities, which included a face painting booth. (Image: Stu Hubbard/MedStar Health)
Joy Park (N’28), also a BSN student, volunteered at the reunion to observe how health care providers and former patients interact and stay connected over time. “I also chose to volunteer because I was excited to work with young children and teenagers to gain insight on my future career as a pediatric nurse,” she said.
Park managed a bounce house at the reunion. “I loved seeing the exhilarated faces of children as they got to jump up and down, play games and giggle amongst themselves when trying to flip each other over,” she said.
“It was most definitely a rewarding experience, since I got to experience a taste of what I will continue to do as a nurse, which is to make my patients comfortable and well cared for,” Park added.
‘I Would Absolutely Do It Again’
A NICU graduate models her unicorn-themed face paint.
With her passion for working with children and service, volunteering at the NICU reunion was a logical choice for BSN student Maya Singhal (N’28). “As a new nursing student, I wanted to get exposure with the community and the local health care scene, and I felt this was the perfect opportunity,” she said. “In addition, I love to volunteer and help out wherever I can.”
Singhal helped reunion attendees locate the registration desk and play games including cornhole and mini basketball. While she hoped to have more hands-on time with the children, she enjoyed being a part of the event.
“I would absolutely do it again and encourage others to help out and celebrate the kids,” she said. Sardona agreed. “I would definitely do it again and highly recommend it to others, not just nursing students,” she said. “The work of the volunteers is unmatched and serves as a support system to celebrate these families’ resilience and strength.”
Kat Zambon
GUMC Communications