A Partnership That Prepares Nurses — and Changes Hearts

By Amy Joyner, DNP, MSN, BC-PMHRN, RN, Clinical Nursing Professor, Marymount University

Last Friday marked the completion of our first six-week pediatric clinical rotation at Jill’s House. What a remarkable experience it has been!

As a pediatric nurse in Northern Virginia for 37 years, I’ve known about Jill’s House since its inception. When I became a full-time clinical professor at Marymount University—truly my dream job—I began looking for innovative ways to prepare our students beyond traditional hospital settings. While our students receive excellent acute-care experience at Inova’s pediatric units, we recognized a growing need: Nursing students must also learn to care confidently for children and young adults with complex intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Jill’s House provided the perfect opportunity.

Over six Friday evenings, six undergraduate nursing students each completed 40 clinical hours, shadowing nurses at check-in and serving alongside the team throughout the night. From the very first evening, Jill’s House welcomed us with warmth, organization, and enthusiasm. Our students were included in intake conversations, learned family histories, and gained valuable insight into each child’s unique needs—always with parents’ permission and genuine excitement about the learning taking place.

What has impressed me most is the transformation in my students. During the first week, they were understandably cautious. A week later, they were jumping in without hesitation, assisting with bedtime routines, engaging in activities, and thoughtfully responding to behavioral challenges. One student gently discovered that a young child who seemed distressed was repeatedly saying “up,” and realized he was asking to be held. When she picked him up, he melted into her arms. That moment of connection is nursing at its very best.

Experiences like these cannot be replicated in a textbook. Nationwide, few nursing programs offer this level of exposure to individuals with profound intellectual disabilities. Yet this population is growing, and healthcare professionals must be prepared. The Virginia Department of Health has encouraged additional training in autism care, recognizing that more pediatric and adult patients will require informed, compassionate support. Marymount is proud to be ahead of the curve through this innovative partnership with Jill’s House.

Jill’s House promises families that they will be celebrated, welcomed, and experience true belonging. I can honestly say they extended that same spirit to our group of nursing students. Each week, we were given space for pre- and post-conference meetings, thoughtfully briefed on each child’s needs, and warmly invited into staff conversations. We never felt like outsiders in someone else’s space; we felt like partners. That culture of hospitality and preparation not only supports families well; it models for our students what compassionate, dignified care should look like.

All of my students said this was their favorite clinical rotation so far. They were so impressed and grateful that they took the initiative to organize a toy drive, donating two bins of adaptive toys for Jill’s House families on their last day.

This partnership has truly been a two-way blessing. Our students have gained confidence, clinical insight, and compassion that will benefit them, their workplaces, and their patients and patient families for years to come.

Our first rotation ended on Friday, and another begins this week. Our hope is that this partnership continues for years to come.