Siyan Chen, NUR ’25, Los Angeles, CA
This summer, I had the opportunity to work as a Student Nurse Extern in the Neuro ICU (KP16) at NYU Langone Health’s Kimmel Pavilion. Over the span of eight weeks, I shadowed an exceptional team of nurses, many of whom I consider remarkable mentors. This experience not only deepened my understanding of what it takes to be a critical care nurse but also reinforced the broader qualities of a great nurse — one who prioritizes patient care and advocates on their patients’ behalf.
This was my second summer at NYU Langone, though I was working in a very different unit compared to the previous year. Initially, I had concerns about whether I would gain as much from this experience as I did before. However, those worries quickly dissipated as I found this summer to be uniquely enriching and rewarding, offering me the chance to acquire ICU-specific skills such as managing intubated patients and administering various drips. I learned about medications like pressors and sedatives and observed bedside procedures including extraventricular drain (EVD) placements and lumbar punctures. The nurses on the unit encouraged curiosity, patiently answering my questions and sharing their extensive experience to enhance my learning.
During my time on KP16, I observed firsthand the values we learn in the classroom at Penn Nursing — patient advocacy, critical thinking, empathy, teamwork –and saw them in action. These principles, emphasized throughout our education, were clearly demonstrated by the nurses and other healthcare professionals on the unit. During my time there, I was also fortunate to witness NYU Langone reaffirm its position at the nation’s top hospital for neurology and neurosurgery for the third year in a row. Observing the collaborative efforts of providers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and nurses working in harmony to deliver exceptional patient care made it clear that this recognition is well-deserved.
I am deeply grateful to the KP16 team for embracing me as part of their family from the start. The camaraderie and mutual support among the nurses, their shared humor during quieter moments, and their collective dedication to patient care fostered a truly familial atmosphere in the unit, which stands in contrast to the transient nature of clinical rotations where we typically work with different nurses each week. This sense of belonging has made a significant impact on me.
As I pursue my goal of becoming a critical care nurse and eventually a nurse anesthetist, I feel fortunate to have been immersed in such a dynamic and supportive environment. This experience has provided invaluable insights and reinforced my commitment to the kind of nurse I aspire to be.
This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2024 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they spent their summer. You can read the entire series here
