My Baystate Story: Donn Michael “Mike” Bulan, RN Baystate Children’s Hospital

My name is Donn Michael Bulan, BSN, RN. Friends and family call me “Mike.” I am a night staff nurse in the Continuing Care Nursery (CCN), a part of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Coming from a third world country, in my case, becoming a nurse was more of a necessity rather than a choice, as this was one of the paths to better one’s life. However, once I became a nurse and actually took care of premature babies and their parents, I found deep satisfaction in my profession. Early in my career, before I was a neonatal nurse, I was at the other end of the spectrum in geriatrics. I was ready to leave the profession because of burnout, but my sister, who also works in the CCN, suggested that I try caring for newborns. Twenty years later, I’m still here feeding and snuggling the tiniest patients!

Most recently, while attending my oldest child’s Catholic confirmation, a couple said hello to me. It took me a while to recognize them, I was their baby’s primary nurse in CCN sixteen years ago. Their daughter is now grown up and is the same age as my son. That is what makes my job at Baystate satisfying: when people in my community remember me taking care of their precious ones. There is a sense of fulfillment in my part knowing that I made a positive impact on other people’s lives.