The Pre-Med Club organized a lecture hosted by registered charge nurse (RN) Ivy Huang on Jan. 26 in the Lecture Hall during lunch.
She started her lecture off talking about herself and her experience as a student and nursing student . As an Arcadia High School (AHS) alumni, she touched on her life and various hobbies before committing to nursing.
After her high school years, she traveled to Taiwan and received her medical experience there through military medical training at the National Defense Medical Center in Taiwan, and worked in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) there. Huang then got into pharmaceutical sales and then returned to the U.S. to then work as a registered nurse here.
Throughout the lecture, she emphasized her life outside of nursing school, which included ballroom dancing and showcasing her love for dancing and general fitness. Huang mentioned that many students believe being a nurse or doctor or studying for any job in the medical field means no social life. She revealed that although the studying and the content is hard, one can still have a good and feasible life beyond that, while focusing on one’s career.
“You expect it to take up all of your time, but [Huang] showed us that she still had many hobbies that she was developing while she was still in the process of becoming a nurse. [She] realized that you don’t have to expect yourself to become isolated, to just work, and if you change your mindset about that, you’ll manage your time effectively to explore other options and hobbies,” said senior Jasmine Su, Secretary of the Pre-Med Club.
As an RN with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), she currently works at the University of Southern California (USC) Arcadia Hospital in the 5 Tower unit, based on cardiac care and surgical and post-surgical needs. She said, as a hands-on person, she wants to be in a surgery unit. For her future goal and job, Huang aspires to be an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner or AGACNP for short and to later become a Surgical Nurse Practitioner.
She touched on the workplace environment and how the attitudes of the doctors and nurses can really impact the quality of patient care. It’s not just about skill, but about communication and trust between everyone as well. The way one makes a patient feel reflects on the entire hospital and the other nurses and doctors there. Huang emphasized the importance of connecting and building trust with a patient to better their quality of treatment and care.
“In a medical setting, the vibe of the head doctor or other charge nurses really affects the whole atmosphere; attitude matters,” said Huang.
As a nurse, Huang realized the importance of always being open to opportunities and having a broad mindset, chasing answers and asking questions to improve your work ethics and overall self.
Huang referenced the book Atomic Habits by James Clear and the quote, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” Constantly building trust, constantly searching for answers and learning new things makes you up to be the person you want to be.
Huang ended her lecture on the note to rest for yourself. With constant studying and drive, it is good to be motivated but she mentioned that rest is not to be lazy, but to “prepare for the journey ahead.”
PR officer junior Hailey Lam agrees that “you have to make sure to take time for yourself. Life isn’t about solely going after your goals; it’s also about taking time for yourself as well, like your mental health and overall wellbeing.”
