Mount Saint Mary College graduate student Benjamin Hayes ’15, FNP-S was recently named Student Nurse Practitioner of the Year by the Nurse Practitioner Association of New York State.
The honor was bestowed upon Hayes at the virtual NPA 36th Annual Conference in October.
Hayes is a proud member of the NPA Region 5, the Greater Newburgh Group. He serves as a nurse in the ICU at Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh, N.Y.
As he was finishing a bachelor’s degree at the Mount in 2015, Hayes joined more than a dozen seniors in the college’s Nursing program on a humanitarian journey to the Dominican Republic. The group headed to impoverished areas known as “bateyes” and handed out some 800 health packs, which containedsoap, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a washcloth, over the counter pain relievers, and more. The Mount team also visited Casa de Luz, which translates to “House of Light,” a home for children with special needs. They provided children’s vitamins, baby wipes, infant and children’s pain relievers, shampoo, baby powder, and more. During their five-day stay, the seniors and their Mount mentors aided more than 2,000 people.
This experience ignited a passion to serve the most vulnerable, Hayes explained. He strives to improve the health outcomes of local underserved populations at St. Luke’s, as well as in the community with the local federally-qualified health center in their mobile health outreach. He provides empathetic and culturally sensitive care to all his patients. His ability to speak English, Spanish, and Portuguese, as well as experience living in South America, help him to educate and make lasting connections with those he encounters.
Driven by the desire to increase the scope of practice, Hayes pursued an education as a Family Nurse Practitioner so that he can help those in need, from birth to death. He has been fortunate to be able to pursue his passion while in school at the Mount as a Family Nurse Practitioner by performing his clinicals at the local federally-qualified health center Cornerstone Family Healthcare, where he hopes to work upon graduation.
While working as a registered nurse, Hayes has been recognized twice with the Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Catch a Star Award and the 2018 Hudson Valley Magazine Excellence In Nursing Award.
Hayes is in his final semester as a Family Nurse Practitioner student at Mount Saint Mary College and expects to graduate in December of 2020.