Wallat Baban, a senior majoring in nursing at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, shares a laugh with residents at Garden View Care Center in Chesterfield, Missouri. Baban was part of a group of students who learned more about the field of long-term geriatric care through a partnership with the skilled nursing community. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)

By Kala Dunn, University Advancement

University of Missouri–St. Louis nursing student Wallat Baban’s face lights up when he talks about the residents of Garden View Care Centers.

Baban was part of a group of students benefiting from a new partnership between the UMSL College of Nursing and the St. Louis-based skilled nursing community, and he spent a day this semester interacting with Garden View residents and learning more about the field of long-term geriatric care.

“For me personally, I loved it because I hadn’t been in a nursing home before or seen what it was like,” Baban said. “Being able to see the process of what they do from the morning to the afternoon and just seeing the population of people who live there – it was eye-opening. It definitely made me consider working in that setting, honestly just because of the patients.”

He added: “You could see it on their faces; they were happy for us to be there.”

Expanding students’ understanding of the career opportunities available to BSN students like Baban is exactly the outcome hoped for by the UMSL College of Nursing and alumnus Richard Winter, president and founder of Garden View Care Centers and a member of the UMSL Chancellor’s Council.

“Skilled nursing facilities across the country face ongoing shortages of qualified nurses, particularly those experienced in geriatric and dementia care,” said Courtney Nieves, chief executive officer of Garden View Care Centers. “By embedding students in real-world clinical settings like Garden View, the partnership helps prepare future nurses with firsthand knowledge of the unique demands and rewards of working with older adults.”

Baban was able to experience some of those rewards firsthand. He spoke with fondness of one resident in particular.

“I had a long, in-depth conversation with her, going into detail about what brought her to Garden View and why she was there,” he said. “We were looking at old photos, and she showed me her wedding photo. She told me where she got married and how she came to America from Cuba. She really dove into her backstory, and she showed me these pictures of her lovely family and how they’ve grown in America.”

This resident’s story was especially meaningful to Baban because of the commonalities he saw between their lived experiences.

“I came from an immigrant family, too; I’m first-generation,” Baban said. “My parents came here in 1996, so I understand the whole transition is not easy. She and her husband worked hard to build a family here where they could live and grow and be successful for themselves. I just saw a little bit of myself in her, and I saw a little bit of my family in her family. Everything about the experience was honestly positive.”

Baban and his fellow nursing students are not the only ones benefiting from the partnership with Garden View Care Centers. In a time where loneliness plagues 25-60% of the older population, according to a study in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, partnerships like the one between the UMSL College of Nursing and Garden View Care Centers may offer some relief.

“One of the most significant benefits of this partnership is the increased social and emotional engagement for residents,” Nieves said. “Students often bring warmth, conversation and companionship into the lives of residents, many of whom may be at risk of isolation. These intergenerational interactions foster a sense of purpose and connection, helping residents feel seen, heard and valued.”

While Baban continues to consider career options in acute care or working with pediatric patients, his day at Garden View Care Centers made a difference in his education by showing him the people-focused side of nursing.

“It’s not just a clinical setting, it’s a home for these patients,” he said. “I think Garden View is possibly one of the best partnerships we have.”