'A Culture of Respect'
Growing up, I was always interested in cardiology. My sister was born with a congenital heart defect. Our whole family went to her appointments. As a little kid, I wanted to be a cardiologist, a garbageman, Batman or all of the above.
Then in college, at 21, I suffered a cardiac arrest. I was studying business and had gotten off the medical path. I refocused myself. I earned my EMT (emergency medical technician) certification and began exploring where I saw myself fitting in with medicine.
I liked nursing’s combination of science and patient care. During my MSN program, I did my pediatric rotation in the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit and Cardiovascular Acute Care Unit. In the Heart Institute, we have a world-class group of people. Being able to cross-train between units like I’ve done, I get to see our patients’ progress.
Investing in You
I belong at CHLA because of lots of moments. As a nursing student and after being hired, I could see how they invest in the nursing staff in terms of training and education. They put a huge value on prepping you for a very intense job. I felt supported from the beginning. That carried me through the first year or two as a new nurse.
CHLA continues to invest in your development. Whether you’re interested in leadership opportunities or other avenues, they find a way to support that. They want the best, so they nurture the best.
There’s such a strong team mentality here. I’ve had the opportunity to participate in committees like collaborative governance. All the disciplines that interact with patients are invited to have a say. It has opened my eyes. When you get to sit in a room with people from other areas of the hospital and talk about policies, you appreciate the different lenses all teammates have to offer.
Culture of Respect
No matter where you work at CHLA, there is a culture of respect—everyone has a valued viewpoint. And everyone is passionate about what they do. I’m lucky to be part of that culture.
As a male in nursing, sometimes you often identify with patients who are teenage boys. One of my patients had a failing heart. I was fortunate to be the nurse who cared for him on the day of his heart transplant, then to watch the surgery.
Where else in the world would I have this opportunity?
