front row (L-R): Gina Hodgdon, Karen Estabrook, Leah Miller
back row (L-R): Gerald Collins, Brian Preston
Photo by Jessica Maloney,
UNH Human Resources

A bout of sickness in their new campus surroundings can be a rite of passage for many first year students. It may be an unsettling reminder of their physical distance from nurturing parents and the routines and rituals of home. The customary allure of independence and autonomy may be briefly tempered by a desire for the attention and care of a parent. The experience can be just as disconcerting for the parents of students, as the many calls placed to Health Services by concerned mothers and fathers attest to. The staff at Health Services has an amazing sensitivity to this fact. Not only do they lead students toward recovery with a large measure of caring and nurturing, but they also seek to educate and empower them on issues of health and wellbeing.

Team 1 at Health Services epitomizes this philosophy. Leah Miller, an LPN for the team articulates this caring clearly when she says, "the students are away from home and need a lot of TLC, which I like to provide them." Brian Preston, the other LPN on the team echoes her sentiment in describing what he finds most satisfying about his position as "caring and working with the students to educate them to holistic/wellness care. For a lot of students it's the first time away from home for an extended period of time."

The striking thing about Gerald, Karen, Gina, Leah and Brian is the level of interest they express in the lives of the students with whom they become acquainted, and the strength of the rapport they are able to establish with them. With humor and genuine interest in the lives of students, they display an incredible ability to make students comfortable enough to discuss even the most personal of concerns. Karen, the team's Nurse Practitioner, remarks that some aspects of her position that she finds most satisfying include: "meeting the students and learning of the fascinating things they have studied." Gina states that she finds "making a difference in the lives of students as they strive to achieve their goals," to be satisfying. The fact that the members of Team 1 take the time to get to know their student patients, and their goals, is very telling, especially in an era of healthcare where time is such a precious commodity. In fact, the team members pride themselves on the flexibility they maintain, accomplished through an attitude of fluidity regarding roles and procedures, that allows them to make the most of their time with patients. Many members of the Team expressed feeling a mixture of both pride and sadness upon the impending graduation of students they have seen frequently as patients. They have come to feel a level of personal investment as they have witnessed the students' progress over the years. Apparently the students feel similarly as many come to personally say goodbye to the Team, to let them know of their future plans, express their appreciation for the quality of care they were given, and to bring gifts of thanks.

Many scholars and analysts seek to understand the inner-workings of teams, inquiring about the attributes that impact their success. An energetic group whose obvious regard for one another creates an incredibly comfortable and supportive atmosphere, Team 1 would be an excellent model for such a study. A great sense of humor seems to be the common trait amongst the members of the group. Infusing all they do with great levity helps to defuse the stresses of working at the commonly frenetic pace of healthcare, and works wonders in putting patients at ease. In Karen's words: "We have a lot of fun and tend to go out of our way to make each other smile. I think our good humor is contagious to our patients and to the other staff at Health Services. It is a type of community acquired infection that is GOOD to get!"