NEW YORK, N.Y. – Every time Fairfield Women's Soccer alumnus Megan O'Brien goes to work, she has a chance to make a difference and impact a family's life. While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to shine a light on the passion, importance and dedication of workers in the healthcare field, those qualities along with a desire to help others have always been there for O'Brien.
 
"I was motivated and inspired by those working in the healthcare field, and couldn't imagine myself doing anything else," O'Brien said. "I work closely with doctors, social workers, nutritionists, and families on a daily basis. I rely fully on my coworkers, we truly are a team."
 
O'Brien, a 2015 graduate from the Fairfield Women's Soccer team, has spent the last three years as a nurse in the Neonatal ICU at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City. Working in the Level IV section of the NICU, she and the rest of the staff have the ability to care for the most complex patients including: extremely premature infants, those with chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease, and other ailments.
 
This is the area that O'Brien focused on during her academic studies at Fairfield, realizing she was in the right field as soon as she started nursing school. O'Brien followed the devotion of her mother, who is also in the healthcare field.
 
"She is so passionate about her work and her patients," O'Brien said. "She truly loves what she does and I wanted to have an experience similar to hers. I knew I wanted to work closely with people, and I have always been inclined to take care of others."
 
O'Brien received a job in the NICU after graduation and has spent that time realizing her passion of making a difference. While tending to the extremely young patients going through pain and sickness would be hard for anyone emotionally and physically, O'Brien tends to focus on the more rewarding parts, seeing all their hard work pay off.
 
"It is so rewarding to see NICU "grads" come back with their parents to visit the unit years after they have been discharged home." O'Brien said. "To remember all that a baby has been through, and to see them return to visit as a two year old, for example, is a very special experience. Many families stay connected to the NICU and their caregivers for years. It's one of the many unique and special experiences I have the pleasure of being involved in as a nurse."
 
With the COVID-19 pandemic taking over the healthcare system, O'Brien and the rest of the workers around the country have had to adjust to the changing times. O'Brien admits they are taking it day-by-day and even hour-by-hour in efforts to better protect the infants and their families, but also feels a sense of pride being in the industry at this time.
 
"It makes me most prideful to see nurses from all specialties coming together and supporting one another," O'Brien said. "Everyone is committed to not only their patients, but also to the safety and well-being of their coworkers. We're all in it together."