Hailey Grutman, 22, has cared about the well-being of kids since her years as a camp counselor at Camp Louise.
Now, she shares that love every day through her work as a pediatric nurse at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
After growing up in Owings Mills and attending Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School, Grutman continued her education at the University of Maryland, College Park, for two years. Then, she went to the University of Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore for two more years. In May, Grutman graduated with a Bachelor of Science in nursing. She passed her board exams in July to receive a registered nurse certification.
Grutman lives in Canton and is a member of Beth Tfiloh Congregation.
What’s your day-to-day job like?
I just started very recently, like last two weeks. I would say day to day would just be giving meds, doing daily care with [patients]. I keep them clean, make sure that they’re eating healthy and trying to keep up their mental health as well while in the hospital.
When did you decide you wanted to go into pediatrics?
I kind of always knew because I was a camp counselor for a long time and a unit leader. I always worked with kids growing up, so I felt like it was natural. It is sad when you see a kid in pain, just as it is sad to see an adult in pain. Helping them move forward and get better is the part that really resonates with me.
What do you like about working at Johns Hopkins specifically?
It’s a really nice facility, and it’s very advanced in what they’re doing for caring for patients in terms of the supplies. Everything’s very evidence based. Something that we do in nursing is we use a lot of evidence-based practices, so everything is always on the upward trend. They’re trying to make sure that they’re doing everything in the best interest for the patient with evidence to prove it.
How do you feel about serving the Baltimore community?
I really like it because, growing up as someone who’s in the county, you’re always hearing about what’s going on in Baltimore on the news, and you’re always going to Baltimore for main events like concerts and sports games. Being able to help within the community that you’ve grown up in and then continue to live in is really rewarding because they’re people that you see every day. It’s a place in the world that you want to see thrive and you want to see people live happily in.
What’s something that someone would be surprised to learn about you?
I’m so outgoing that I think people will be surprised that I enjoy staying in and having a relaxing evening with my roommates and watching a movie.
How would you describe your relationship with Judaism?
I would say my relationship with Judaism is very strong, and I think it always has been since starting Beth Tfiloh in middle school. I would daven every day and have that time to connect with God. I think that it was really beneficial to me because it gave me the opportunity to believe in something bigger. I also always loved praying and davening because it was just a moment where we just all gathered together. I used to be in the girls’ alternative davening at BT, which is something that was really special to me. I kind of miss it sometimes because I can’t really go to shul and get that same feeling as when I’m in a classroom with the girls in my grade and we’re singing. That was something that was really powerful for me.
Do you feel like you’ve used any of the tools you learned at Beth Tfiloh in your regular life?
I definitely think I do. [Beth Tfiloh Director of Education Zipora] Schorr would always have us singing one of those psalms like Shir Hamaalot. I find myself saying that whenever there’s something bad going on in the world, especially with the times that we’re experiencing now. I find myself saying that and looking back to those days in davening and thinking about what would make me feel like I was having a connection with God and making a difference in that moment.
It took me a while to find the downtown Chabad. With the heaviness of nursing school, I wasn’t always able to get to synagogue or get to a Jewish event and I really wish that I could have more. Now that I’m entering my postgrad life, it’s been a priority of mine to make sure I go to Chabad and try to stay connected as much as possible.
