Georganne McClain ’15 is no stranger to the neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston.
Born approximately three months premature (26 weeks) in September 1991, McClain was flown from Nacogdoches to Houston by helicopter and spent the first few months of her life in the NICU. Today, she tirelessly works to care for premature infants in exactly the same unit.
“My mom has told me stories about her NICU experience, and many times we’ve both cried while talking about it,” she said. “Now I can finally tell her, ‘I know what it’s like.’”
McClain weighed just a little more than a pound at birth — so small her mom was afraid to hold her.
Brinda McClain, who had already lost a son who was born premature, tried to resist becoming too emotionally attached to another child she might lose. Finally, after several stressful weeks, Brinda asked the doctor about her daughter’s chances of survival.
“The doctor told my mom, ‘She’s going to be fine. She’s strong,’” McClain said.
McClain continued to grow and build strength, as her parents made the trip back and forth from Nacogdoches to Houston until her release from the NICU three months later, just two days before Christmas.
Fostering a passion for nursing
Growing up, McClain knew she wanted to be a nurse and felt a particular call to work in the NICU.
“I couldn’t really see myself doing anything else,” she said. “I wanted a career that was hands-on and one that would allow me to help people.”
After enrolling in SFA’s DeWitt School of Nursing, McClain instantly fell in love with the program, from her classes to her classmates and instructors.
“I loved the environment and the people,” she said. “It was small enough that I really got to know my professors. I learned a lot and was fortunate to have a good group of people to learn alongside.”
McClain formed close bonds with her professors and was particularly influenced by Veronica Sjolander, a clinical instructor in the School of Nursing, whom McClain calls a mentor. Sjolander said she appreciated McClain for her professional behavior, patience and patient advocacy.
“Working with Georganne was such a pleasure, as she was curious and only wanted to be a good nurse,” Sjolander said. “She worked hard and offered help to other students at every opportunity. Even though she’s graduated, we still keep in touch.”
Starting a career helping others
After graduation, McClain accepted a job as a medical-surgical nurse at CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial in Lufkin.
After working in Lufkin for a year, she took a leap of faith and accepted a NICU nursing position at Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock. It was there she saw another “26-weeker” for the first time.
“I remember thinking, ‘This baby is like me, and this situation matches the one my mom and dad went through — being worried and stressed about what was going to happen and how things were going to turn out,’” McClain said.
This realization ignited a new passion for the nursing profession in McClain, as her training, along with her unique background, put her in the perfect position to treat the infants and their families with empathy.
“I never realized what it was like for my parents until I started working in a NICU and witnessed what other parents go through,” McClain said. “Learning from my own parents’ experiences has helped ensure that I’m compassionate toward other parents when advocating for them and their baby.”
Back to the beginning
After a year working at Covenant Children’s Hospital, McClain accepted the job of a lifetime as a NICU nurse at Memorial Hermann working with Dr. Amir Khan, the same doctor who admitted her into the NICU when she was born.
While it is an inherently high-stress environment, the level of care McClain provides allows her to develop strong relationships with the infants and their families that sometimes last long after the patient’s release from the hospital.
McClain said Memorial Hermann hosts yearly reunions, which allow family members and their children who have “graduated” from the NICU an opportunity to visit the hospital and interact with the nurses.
“The best part of the NICU is the families you meet and the babies you care for,” she said. “Parents will send us pictures to keep us up to date and let us know how the family is doing.”
Still, employment in the NICU involves working long hours and on holidays. It is a stressful profession that includes guiding people through some of the most difficult situations they will face.
“I think it helps families to see someone who has gone through something similar and overcame it,” McClain said. “I feel extremely blessed to be in a position to care for these babies and also offer support to the parents. I basically began my life at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, and now I’ve come full circle. I think everything I had to go through in life has made me a better and more compassionate nurse.”