4 minute read
Caregiver Spotlight. Ethan Wang, RN
Thoughts on becoming a nurse.
Donor support makes initiatives like Huntington Hospital’s Nurse Residency Training Program possible — helping new graduate nurses like Ethan Wang, RN, be the best caregivers they can be. Ethan, who volunteered at the hospital during high school, officially joined our nursing staff through our Nursing Residency Training Program earlier this year. We sat down with him recently to learn more about his journey to becoming a nurse, his role in our Station 45 telemetry unit and what he loves most about working at Huntington Hospital.
Q. Why did you decide to become a nurse?
A. In high school, each student was required to do 100 hours of community service. I started looking around for places to volunteer and found an opening at Huntington Hospital. For three years — from sophomore year until I graduated — I was here every Saturday. Seeing how friendly all the nurses were had a huge impact on me. They were all extremely kind and taught me so much, from how to use the charting system to how to interact with patients. It was then that I knew I wanted to pursue nursing as a career — and that I wanted to work at Huntington.
After high school, I went to nursing school at West Coast University, Ontario, and continued to volunteer at Huntington Hospital every other week. I took my licensing exam at the end of 2023, and earlier this year I was hired by the hospital as part of the Nurse Residency Training Program. I was actually born at Huntington Hospital, so working here feels like I have come full circle.
Q. What does your job as a Station 45 nurse entail?
A. Station 45 is the medical-surgical telemetry unit. Often, patients from our Nan and Howard Schow Emergency & Trauma Center are transferred to the unit for observation. We also receive patients after surgery before they are discharged home. We monitor vitals, administer medication and tend to our patients’ immediate needs. I like to say that we are the eyes and ears of the patients in our care because we must remain constantly vigilant and anticipatory of their needs.
Q. What is the Nurse Residency Training Program and why is it important?
A. The Nurse Residency Training Program helps new nursing graduates transition to independent practice. We take classes and get support from nursing leaders, which really solidifies our work. The Nurse Residency Training Program is so important because it helps ensure that caregivers like me have all the tools we need to provide the highest quality of care. I am grateful to donors in our community for making training opportunities like this possible.
Q. What does a day in your life look like?
A. My shift starts at 7 a.m., and I begin the morning by reading up on all my patients and checking in on them to see if anything requires immediate attention. I may also take inventory of medications we have on the unit.
Throughout the day, I continue to assess patients, take their vitals and educate them on how to manage their conditions. I administer medications and ensure they are given at their scheduled time. I also organize files and make sure all patient documentation is updated in our records system.
At 7 p.m., I give a report to the night nurse, and by 7:30 p.m. my shift is over. I usually try to go to the gym before heading home. After a busy day, I spend an hour or two relaxing and unwinding before getting a good night’s sleep.
Q. What do you enjoy most about your job?
A. With some jobs, you do the same thing every day, but, as a nurse, my work varies from shift to shift. I interact with so many different patients, who are each on their own health care journey. This means every day is different — and that makes it all the more interesting and enjoyable. My coworkers are also amazing. They are all so friendly, and we interact with each other with kindness, dignity and respect. It feels like a real cohesive team.
Most importantly, I am so lucky I get to work at Huntington Hospital — the best hospital in the San Gabriel Valley. I take pride in being a part of an institution that is not only on the cutting edge of medical innovation but also cares so deeply about its patients and their well-being.
