Senior Ben Pultorak breaks barriers in obstetric care

Villanova, PA, April 17, 2008 — The tiniest, critically ill patients born at Newark Beth Israel Hospital in New Jersey are just weeks away from meeting Ben Pultorak. A senior at Villanova University College of Nursing, he will be working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after graduation. He brings with him a breadth of nursing knowledge and a variety of clinical experiences that he sought on the road to earning his bachelor of science in nursing degree. Along the way, he also opened some doors.

At Maternidad La Luz in El Paso, Texas in December
2007, senior Villanova, nursing student Ben Pultorak
holds newborn Juan after his 2-day check up. Pultorak
examined the mother and baby, and check Juan's height,
weight, dietary intake and output. He also spoke with
the mother about her post-partum concerns.

Pultorak, a native of Dudley, Mass., was initially a biology major at Villanova who had plans for medical school. He soon realized that he wanted to be in patient care settings sooner rather than later. He transferred to nursing because of the nature of the profession. “I share a strong commitment to service and realize that through nursing I can use my love of giving back to the community through my work,” he explains. Pultorak is content with his choice, “I could not be happier with my decision as nursing has provided me many opportunities to learn through clinical experiences inside and outside of the hospital.”

Pultorak has valued his clinical rotations, including those in obstetric (OB) settings. While he has met some resistance to having a male as a nurse, he was not surprised and has overcome it. “…Realizing that some patients or cultures experience a bias to male nurses…I dealt with the issue in the most respectful manner. As a male student…I have also found myself over prepared in situations to explain a diagnosis or medication to a patient to instill a sense of confidence in them regarding my level of knowledge and skill. These characteristics, along with my personal sense of commitment and care to the patient, have proven effective in breaking down these barriers to male care,” he explains. He changed mindsets in Texas as well.

Senior Villanova nursing student Ben Pultorak joins classmates (left to right) Amanda Harner, Kelly Fromuth, Kathleen Barzelatto and Kathryn Lenhardt along with faculty member Dr. Patricia Mynaugh at Maternidad La Luz in El Paso, Texas. Not pictured are Ryan Forde and Theresa Moore.

For the last several years, the College has offered additional OB experience to students at a birth center along the Texas-Mexico border. The experience was developed by Patricia Mynaugh, Ph.D., R.N., associate professor and a specialist in maternal-child health, who also accompanies the students. Pultorak seized the opportunity to learn more about OB care at Maternidad La Luz in El Paso, Texas in December 2007. “I chose Texas as it offered a different setting for the maternal-child health clinical rotation. It gave me an opportunity to experience the Mexican culture first hand on the border, to offer quality care to the patients and to interact in both the English and Spanish languages, he notes, “I knew it would be a great challenge, stepping outside my boundaries and being the first male to ever attend, yet the opportunity was too great to pass up.”

Since the clinic had never had a male work with them, Pultorak says there were “many rules” regarding his provision of care. This motivated him to demonstrate his “knowledge and commitment to care to a greater degree.” He recalls, “To achieve my goals, I read more about assessments of both the mother and child, read more about the Mexican culture, worked on my Spanish so that language would not be a barrier, and vowed that I would prove to the clinic my proficiency and remove any stereotype about a male student. After the second day at the clinic, the director pulled me aside, gave me a hug and told me that she was nervous about me coming down, but I have opened her eyes about a male in the OB setting. I was essentially a test subject for the week and now male students are welcomed. I am glad that I could open this door for future Villanova students.”

The birth center experience was significant for Pultorak as well. “Being immersed in the culture on the border was amazing,” he offers, “The experience has opened up my eyes to the border issues that are experienced daily by my patients who were just seeking quality and affordable care.”

Pultorak continues to meld his education and his sense of service into a lifelong professional commitment. “Overall I view each day and each experience in clinical as an opportunity to gain more knowledge and skill within the nursing field,” he summarizes. As for the future, he has big plans, saying “I would like to work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for 2-3 years, return to school to gain my nurse practitioner degree, and then work as a NP in an inner city neonatal unit. Down the road I can see myself returning to school for my master’s in education and would like to teach college courses in both the classroom and clinical setting.”