Daniel Donato

Nursing Assistant, Stony Brook University Hospital
Start Date: August 5, 2023

At first glance, Daniel Donato is serious and stoic in his green scrubs and Stony Brook Medicine logo. And he is. But, in his own words, one must not take anything at face value. In Daniel’s case, he is not just a healthcare worker. Underneath those scrubs is the spirit of an artist.

Daniel works in the psychiatric unit as a nursing assistant at Stony Brook University Hospital. In his day-to-day, he assists patients in ensuring their time on the floor is amenable and works with the staff to provide a full patient experience. Though he seems like an old hat at his trade, he has only been in his role for one year. His compassion for his patients stems from his desire to help others, which has been consistent throughout his career and in his personal life. But Daniel was not always interested in working in healthcare.

Before he was a nursing assistant, in fact, Daniel was an art teacher. He completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees at Stony Brook University in art, and was plugged into the Long Island art scene at institutions like Gallery North, the Mills Pond House, and the Patchogue Art Center. Through his artwork, he found himself more and more interested in the human body. This interest evolved over time, where Daniel became more focused on how the mind and body work together. This led him to his current position.

“My influence, what helps me create, is the human body, so I started looking into medical jobs,” says Daniel. “I was always fascinated with helping people ... I applied here and I ended up enjoying it a lot.”

In his previous experience, Daniel worked with a variety of people from all walks of life, which he feels really prepared him for his role in the psychiatric unit. Being able to relate to people, he shared, is super helpful when it comes to working with patients, especially when you’re trying to help them set, and strive to meet, their life’s  goals. 

“To me, it’s all about sharing a space with people, and to understand we all have things that upset us, we may share a common interest, but we’re working towards something,” he says. 

To Daniel, the goal of working towards something is one of the most rewarding aspects of his job. As he describes from his work, patients can really evolve from the time of entry to the time of discharge from the hospital. 

“Watching the whole process of a patient coming into CPEP [Stony Brook’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program], being admitted, and watching them go through their treatment … I also watch them leave here. It’s almost like they’re at their graduation,” Daniel says. “They come here, sometimes in a pretty rough state, they go through their treatment, sometimes I get to walk them out … that’s the most rewarding to me.”

When he isn’t working, Daniel continues to draw and engage in art, using the medium of pencil, which is neater than his former choice of charcoal and easier for him to travel with. And when he isn’t drawing, Daniel is thinking towards the future.

He plans to continue his education – at Stony Brook – by pursuing a degree in Nursing.