WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Nursing students from South University joined the team at St. Mary's Medical Center to spread a little Easter joy.
Students from the Student Nursing Association at the university brought dozens of Easter baskets to the pediatric emergency room Friday morning.
"Make a difference inside and outside of the classroom," Shayna Adaniel, the organization's president, said.
Both the hospital and the students agree that kind gestures like this actually help the patients heal.
"That's something that we thought a lot about," Adaniel said. "It was really our goal and our mission. We know, especially from a pediatric standpoint, that it's really hard for a lot of parents to have their kids in the hospital, especially during the holidays."
Joy Stout, a pediatric emergency room nurse at the hospital, said moments like this really helps.
"The happier they are, the better mood they're in, and the more likely they are to cooperate with treatment and respond to treatment in an easier way," Stout said.
It's a great relationship, and a two-way street, between nurses at the hospital and these future nurses from the college based in West Palm Beach.
"It's exciting to see them want to be a part of the team already," Stout said. "Participating in this way allows them to be a part of this team without working here yet."
The baskets are filled with Easter goodies, like a coloring book and a big Peep toy.
They'll be given out to patients in the pediatric emergency room through Easter Sunday.
