Change Agent For ABPNN grad Megan Reynolds, health care and humanitarian efforts work in tandem to support her quest to make an impact on the world rom an early age, Megan Reynolds ’19N has had a passion for helping people. “Humanitarian work has always been integral in my drive to provide health care. My earliest memory as a kid was wanting to respond to the genocide in Sudan,” said Reynolds, a nurse in the Burn Trauma Intensive Care Unit at Strong Memorial Hospital who was honored by the School of Nursing in 2020 with its Humanitarian Award. “I’ve always known that I was going to end up doing this work in some capacity.” To maximize the impact of her work, Reynolds realized that she had to gain actual experience in health care first, which led her to the UR School of Nursing’s Accelerated Bachelor’s Program for Non-Nurses (ABPNN). “I think there are a lot of people who may have good intentions with humanitarian work, but aren't bringing anything useful,” she said. “I knew I needed to bring tangible change.” At the School of Nursing, Reynolds didn’t just focus on academics, but immediately went about putting her knowledge into action. In addition to her work with programs focusing
F
on student wellness and student advocacy and her role as a mentor for the Center for Academic and Professional Success (CAPS), Reynolds redefined the school's role in UR Street Outreach, a student-run initiative that improves accessibility to uninsured and underserved adults in Rochester. Originally established by the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD), Street Outreach provides free health care services to the unsheltered homeless population. The organization operates out of the emergency shelter advocacy group Rochester Emergency Action Committee for the Homeless (REACH) House, St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center, and House of Mercy. As a volunteer, Reynolds was impressed with Street Outreach’s mission and execution of weekly trips despite the grueling academic schedules the SMD students faced. However, the group struggled to staff three shifts a week. That’s when Reynolds saw a need for nurses. “We were building relationships, educating, and providing trauma-informed care—that’s what UR Nursing students excel at,” said Reynolds. Since UR Nursing’s role in Street Outreach was redefined, the group has not experienced a single understaffed shift. At her Commencement ceremony, Reynolds was honored with the Paul Burgett Nursing Student Life Award, an achievement given to a graduating student who has enriched the School of Nursing environment regarding diversity, raised awareness of different cultural issues, actively participated in improving student life, has been a positive catalyst for change, and has the potential to influence nursing practice to be inclusive of all culture. Shortly after that, she was on to her next mission. Reynolds received a call from her friend Dan Taylor, board member of Global Response Management (GRM) Group, a non-profit that delivers emergency medical care and humanitarian relief in high-risk areas. Taylor invited Reynolds to join GRM in providing medical care to a camp populated by over 3,000 asylum-seekers and
A year after graduating from the UR School of Nursing, Meg Reynolds ‘19N volunteered as part of a team of humanitarian workers to provide health care at a refugee camp in Matamoros, Mexico. She spent two weeks providing needed medical services to camp residents just before COVID-19 erupted throughout Mexico. NURSING 2020 Volume 2 25
