ACTRI Nurses Week Meet Patricia Santana
Meet Patricia Santana, a Registered Nurse who has worked at the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute for over 7 years.
How has ACTRI shaped your nursing career?
Working with ACTRI made me understand the role of a clinical research nurse, which requires clinical knowledge, important technical skills, rigors of research and patient safety.
What led you to become a research nurse?
I always liked clinical research. I have a certification in Clinical Trials Design and Management from years before I started to work at ACTRI.
What about being a research nurse inspires you? What are your biggest job motivators?
Clinical research helps to shape tomorrow’s medicine and I’m proud to be part of it.
What are some things you’d like people to know about the nursing profession?
It’s a beautiful profession that requires compassion, patience and hard work.
What are some ways the community can support nurses, not only during Nurses week but all year long?
Show appreciation for them not just as workers, but as people. Understanding that the nurses are looking out for your best interest and trying to help you when you come to the hospital, they want nothing more than for you to get better.
Tell us about a challenging moment in your nursing career.
Being a clinical research nurse, I have to balance the professional abilities of the RN with the work tasks of the clinical research which involve complex decision-making and maintaining the balance can lead to professional and ethical dilemmas.
Has COVID changed your life as a research nurse in any way?
To find out more about COVID (treatments, virus behavior) the world had to rely on research and that being said, we have never worked so hard at ACTRI. But we all had a goal in common, find a vaccine that potentially could save the life of millions of people worldwide. Just to name a few studies, we started helping to collect blood from the healthcare workers on the tent outside the ED La Jolla and Hillcrest in full PPE during the hot summer. We worked with the Moderna study team for the adults and children vaccines (we volunteered to work on Saturdays). Infuse plasma antibodies to patients that were exposed to COVID.
How do you manage a work/life balance?
When I arrive at home I try not to think of work and spend quality time with my family. Some days I’m good at it, others I’m not entirely able to disconnect, but in a healthy way. Just have to find the balance.
What advice would you give to nursing students, recent grads, or your past self?
Being a Nurse is not like any other profession, you will work crazy hours, some days you will be so tired and burnout that will make you rethink your choices, you will laugh and cry with patients, but never lose the compassion and what made you decide to be a Nurse.
Are there any specific healthcare tips you’d like to share with the community?
Stay hydrated and limit the amount of sugary beverages.
Try to stay active each day.
Try to get enough sleep each night.
UC San Diego ACTRI appreciates all the hard work, effort and dedication all nurses put into their work and wishes them a Happy National Nurses Week!