Member Spotlight
JOHANNES HIRT
October 2, 2018
NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing Senior
My name is Johannes Hirt and I am in my last semester in the accelerated BSN program at NYU Meyers College of Nursing, graduating this December 2018. I was born in Germany but moved to the United States when I was 6 years old. I attended Virginia Commonwealth University and received a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology. During college, I volunteered as an EMT, and loved interacting with nurses in the Emergency Department. After graduating I worked in environmental research, but quickly realized that I missed the human interactions that come with healthcare. I continued working in research until my father became very ill. I spent a lot of time with him in the hospital and was very impressed by how caring, knowledgeable, and compassionate his nurses on the oncology unit were. After my father’s passing I decided that I wanted to pursue nursing and be there for those going through similar experiences. After graduating I hope to work in oncology and care for seriously ill patients. Outside of nursing, I enjoy cycling, working out, and going to museums. I currently work as part-time patient care technician at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Hospital, New York City’s number 1 hospital.
MARC ANTOINE DOSSOUS, BSN, RN
August 25, 2018
Staff Nurse – Cardiothoracic Stepdown Unit
New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Hospital
NYU Meyers College of Nursing – Class 2017
It’s a little weird because I always had nursing in the back of my mind. When I graduated from high school, I wanted to be a physical therapist but things changed along the way. My mother had gotten sick and I started to spend more time in the acute care setting. Seeing nurses function peaked my interest and it made me begin to wonder if I had chosen the right career path. After careful consideration and a long thought process, I decided to pursue a career as a registered nurse. It really felt like the right thing to do based on what I wanted for my career.
As far as nursing goes, I think the continuous learning is probably my favorite part about it all. Between new interventions, equipment and research, there’s always something new to learn. It keeps the mind fresh and the profession exciting. I love that part of coming to work. Furthermore, I enjoy the visual progression from patients. Most patients can’t even walk when they first arrive to the unit. Seeing them build up to the little things like eating solid food and brushing their own teeth gives me a sense of pride knowing I assisted in them in reaching that point. I think my least favorite part of nursing is finding the balance when you’re having a busy night. We all know about time management and prioritizing but it’s a different ball game when you’re actually in the field and you have to apply the skills. It’s pretty difficult but you get better as time goes on.
I think that in order to engage more men to join the nursing work force, it’s imperative to explain and highlight the options that are available. From informatics to academia and everything in between, there are endless opportunities to make an impact on whatever sector that the potential nurse chooses. There are some things to be aware of. Although it’s 2018, there’s STILL a bit of a stigma that surrounds nursing which leads many to believe that it’s a “woman’s job”. That couldn’t be more misleading. I acknowledge the fact that when I walk into a room, some of my patients tend to look a little surprised when they ask “Are you going to be my nurse?”. I only see it as an opportunity to prove that I’m going to provide the best care possible for as long as I’m handling the care of the patient. Every shift is a new opportunity to do something great. As long as I step onto the unit with that mindset, there’s a strong chance that I’m going to have a good shift.
I’m grateful for the NYC Men in Nursing and the platform that has been created for nursing students, new graduates, and experienced professional to come together to share their thoughts, experiences and ideas for future nursing. This organization is going to continue grow as potential members embrace the concept that their contributions make a difference. I’m extremely grateful for the support I’ve received and I’m doing my best to pay it forward to the new class of nurses. It’s very difficult to start as a new nurse because while you work so hard in school to grasp concepts, there’s still so much to learn when you finally make it to the patient care unit.
I can’t say with certainty that I know what I want as far as advancing my nursing career is concerned. I love what I do, but in the same breath I think I may want to do more. It is a gift and a curse to have so many options. Nonetheless, I’d like to take my time with this process. It’s only been about sixteen months and I know I’ve come a long, long way but I’m prepared to continue at the bedside until I’m absolutely sure I know what I want.
The beautiful thing about nursing is that there’s always room for growth. There are plenty of chances to leave your mark and the right chance will display itself in one way or another. I hope to inspire and help guide new nurses about survival in the beginning stages in the profession. I’m not the best teacher but if I can lead by example and teach people about my experiences, I can make a difference I’d be proud of.
I’d like to thank NYC Men in Nursing for the feature and allowing me to share my story.
JONATHAN DIAZ, MS, AGACNP
July 29, 2018
July 2018 Featured Member
NYU Meyers College of Nursing – NP Class of May 2018
My name is Jonathan Diaz currently an Adult Geriatric Acute Care NP BS-DNP student at NYU Rory Myers College of Nursing. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY I always knew that I wanted to work in health care and that it was my passion to help those in need, but like most in their adolescent year I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, what route to take, or how to get there. My career into nursing was sparked by a representative of the National Association of Hispanic Nurse who presented the career of Nursing, while in the “NYU High School Fellows Program” in 2003 and 2004. A program that was intended for students who were interested in science in medicine.
Fast forward to 2010. I was one out of approximately only four males total in a class of about 40 students. I graduated with Honors from Lincoln Technical Institute’s Licensed Practical Nurse Program and that is how my career into the Nursing began. My initial experience was working in a Nursing Home in short-term rehabilitation and long-term care. In 2012, I achieved my Associate of Science in Nursing from Eastwick College and became a Registered Nurse and at this time I decided to change focuses and worked in a State Psychiatric Institution. This brings me to 2015, when I graduated with Honors from Felician University, obtaining my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. During this time, again I tried another type of nursing, critical care beginning as a Trauma Nurse in the Emergency Department to transitioning to the Intensive Care Units. This is also the year I would receive the amazing opportunity to be a part of the first cohort of the BS- to DNP program at NYU. In that time, I tried, yet again, a different form of nursing, Nursing Education as a Clinical Instructor.
What I have enjoyed most about my career thus far is that It is continuously evolving and all the possibilities and opportunities nursing can offer. I have met nurses from various fields that work magazine companies, to those who work special events like concerts, and even various types of clinical nurses like a flight nurse. Nursing has given me the knowledge needed to give back to different communities from being a team member in medical tent for marathons, to health fairs, fundraising, and even participating in career days.
One thing I have found to be true, is that as soon as a nurse finds their niche and they are happy but they stay. While knowing more and more opportunities are being created every day, my reason for constantly changing areas was simple, to be a well-rounded provider to help me see a different perspective than from one that might only see if they spent the majority of their practice in the Operating Room or just in the outpatient setting. For all those that wish to further their education to be advanced practitioners I believe we are forging the future. While advanced practitioners have been around for a short period of time already, the scope of practice and the advancement of practice will continuously cultivate and modify to grow due to the dedication, expertise, education, and passion of nurses at every level.
I am currently in the middle of the BS- DNP program. I am currently awaiting to take my board certification and I have approximately two years left at NYU. I am also the newly elected President of Advanced Nurse Student Organization at NYU. In the next five years I hope to be actively practicing as a Nurse Practitioner in the Critical Care arena providing evidence base, effective, and efficient care. As I am a perpetual student and love to learn, perhaps I will go for Post- Certification, but for now I hope that where ever I go I can continue to bring a positive influence and continue to advance the practice. Upon graduation being that I am in the first cohort I have always come to realize I will be the first male, and one of two Hispanic students to graduate. I hope in furthering my education I can be a role model for future nurses. I hope to continue to serve the community through providing services at health conventions and continue to provide knowledge to the less informed and deprived and to lessen the many health care associated disparities that are in our communities, after all, the best medicine to provide is prevention and the tools and knowledge to care for themselves appropriately. I also will continue to mentor both formally and informally the future of nursing. The possibilities are endless but one thing for sure that remains constant is that nursing has been an incredible ride that has led to many opportunities, and moments that could take your breath away, and I know for sure it one of the best career choices I could have made.
To all Nurses: The path may be hard, and for some it may take longer than others, but when you are done it will be worth it. Persevere, network, question, and acknowledge your weakness so it can become your strength. While you take care of others daily, do not forget that you must take care of yourself as well. Lastly, it is very easy to fail and fall when you reach for your dreams, just remember to fail or fall forward!