Summer Twist: Learning empathy through medicine

This summer, a cohort of 15 Friends Academy students piloted a new service program at FA with Glen Cove Hospital that transported them into the complex world of patient care and allowed them to stretch and grow the intrinsic skill of empathy. 

Spearheaded by Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Nailah Moonsammy during the 2023-24 school year when she guided the Class of 2027 as 9th Grade Dean, Friends Academy partnered with Glen Cove Hospital's Junior Volunteer Program to interview, train, and host two cohorts of student groups – one this summer, with one to follow this fall. The summer cohort included students Sharon Chen, Christopher DeNatale, Sienna Edgar, Skylar Greenspan, Maya Kaul, Nicole Kuchta, Sebastian Martinez, Lucy Miller, Grace Parziale, Lisali Peiris, Harper Rejwan, Dylan Schefter, Michael Sharifov, Rory Vogel and Nakoa Wang.

"We really expanded the program this year," said Emily Bashford, Senior Director of Patient & Customer Experience, who with Patient Experience Assistant Nicole Albanese, welcomed FA 9th graders. "Last year, we had 12 students participate; this year we have 50, with 30 from Friends Academy," she said, adding that Glen Cove High School students make up the balance.

Following a rigorous application and clearance process in which Ms. Bashford and Ms. Albanese first visited Friends last spring to conduct high-level interviews, students were queried on their ability to fit into the hospital's culture. "We asked them, 'How do you make your friends and family feel welcome?' 'How do you make an upset patient feel better?' And I was blown away by their examples of empathy," recalled Ms. Bashford.

Based on their varying interests, students were deployed to a variety of departments throughout the hospital – from Endoscopy to Dining, from Nursing Education to Respiratory, Emergency Room, Ambulatory Surgical Unit, Brain Rehab Unit, and more. 

Current sophomores Chris DeNatale and Lisali Peiris worked together in Dining Services and were tasked with helping to create menus for patients with allergies that mimicked the standard menu. 

Working with Executive Chef Pietro Fischetti, who owned a restaurant for 17 years before venturing into the hospital dining environment, Chris and Lisali plotted daily menus with hospital computers. "I was surprised how unique each diet is," shared Chris, "and how much work goes into that. It's a big process and they do it very well here." According to Ms. Bashford, the hospital consistently reaches the 95th percentile for patient experience in food and dining.

For Lisali, who had already completed a stint in Respiratory making laminated signs for different types of ventilation tubes, volunteering provided her the opportunity to see inside the complexities of a hospital system. "I might work in this and I wanted to understand the dynamics," she said.

Patient care and assisting during patient rounds were a mainstay of many of the students' days. "We helped offer companionship to patients and ensured they were being treated well," said junior Nicole Kutcha, who worked on the Brain Rehab Unit with sophomore Maya Kaul. "I worked on a floor where people tended to be more confused, possibly critically ill, or past surgery," described Nicole. "I learned a lot about bedside manners and how important it is. I never wanted to overwhelm them, but instead wanted to have them feel like we were a support system for them," she added, before being called away to help transport a patient.

Students also ventured behind the scenes as a support system for nurses and doctors. For Dylan Schefter and Sienna Edgar who worked in Nursing Education and Development, they were the lynchpin for helping nurses advance their education by logging attendance in classes and transferring critical files. "I used to think that hospitals were run by nurses and doctors," said Dylan. "But now I understand the roles of everyone who works here behind the scenes to make all of that happen."  

Stocking shelves, folding gowns, picking up lunch trays, creating pre- and post-surgical packets, along with participating in patient rounds, filled the hours for many student volunteers, including sophomores Grace Parziale and Lucy Miller.

"We helped out with their paperwork because the nurses always needed help," said Grace. "I enjoyed talking with patients during rounds," said Lucy. "It gave us opportunities to learn how we can help by explaining to a PCA (Patient Care Assistant) what a patient's needs were," she added.

A unique Glen Cove hospital initiative, "Tell Me More Boards," gave students another tool to grow relationships with patients and expand their caretaking skills. "With our Tell Me More Boards, we ask patients what they like and our volunteer students would draw a picture of it or find a photo and that would help create natural connections with their patient," explained Ms. Bashford.

Serving in her role, Emily Bashford has come full circle. "I started out as a volunteer when I was 13," she shared. "The fact that I get to lead this and design it and work with these students – that's the reason I got into healthcare."

"This is a super complex place," commented Chris, "and everyone is trying to do their best for you." Our students' advice for those coming to a hospital? "Try not to lash out at the nurses," suggested Lisali. "They work so hard."

Photography by Alvin Caal/Friends Academy