'There's a Magic That Happens When You Walk Through the Doors'

Pediatrics and intensive care meld my two interests, which are kids first of all, and the heart and science of nursing. In the intensive care unit, there’s a fast pace and a need for critical thinking. You are the expert on one patient for that shift.

Because you have so much knowledge, you play a valuable role as the eyes and ears for the entire team. We work on multidisciplinary teams with doctors, respiratory therapists, Child Life specialists, chaplains and more. We respect each other’s opinions and ideas.

Meaningful Collaboration

There’s something beautiful about that. You are collaborating to do meaningful work. And the stakes are high, which makes us perform at our best. That’s one of my favorite parts about working here.

I took on a nurturing, caregiving role from a young age as big sister to a brother who had asthma and life-threatening food allergies. As an undergrad at UCLA, I didn’t declare my major at first. When I tried to switch to nursing, that option wasn’t open. I stayed, and majored in psychobiology. My senior year, I applied for the master’s entry program in nursing.

Another thing that drew me here was CHLA’s professional development opportunities. There’s a lot of support to explore other aspects of nursing.

I’m proud I’ve obtained my RN III. I was able to do that by having the opportunity to serve on different committees, in my unit and house wide, like collaborative governance, as well as getting involved in professional organizations.

Investing in Futures

I’ve been working on a project essentially since I started at CHLA in 2018: the creation of a peer support program called cumulative stress debriefings. The hospital has been supportive of my time and energy in creating it from the ground up.

CHLA has invested in me as a leader in other ways, too. As a nurse, you may think, “I don’t get these kinds of opportunities.” At CHLA you do, especially if you pursue them.

I feel a sense of belonging because I feel confident in what I’m doing. I feel an extreme sense of belonging to my unit and my team, and an even larger sense of belonging to the institution.

There’s a magic that happens when you walk through the doors at CHLA. That it’s a freestanding children’s hospital and everything here is for the kids makes it such a special place. I just fell in love with it.