Year Graduated: 2019
Major: Nursing
Job Title: Medical and Surgical ICU Nurse, Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center
Nearly a year ago, Alana Lucas (’19) was preparing for finals while looking forward to commencement and a career. As of August 2019, she is a medical and surgical ICU nurse at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, where much of the ICU is being converted into “airborne rooms” to accommodate an expected influx of patients infected with the coronavirus.
On top of her being new to the profession, all of a sudden there’s a pandemic, there has been a big learning curve, but her colleagues and management have been very supportive.
She understands the risks to patients and medical staff posed by the aggressive disease, but Lucas trusts her training, colleagues, and managers. She is happy at how fast her hospital has enforced (policies and procedures) and makes the essential workers feel protected; she feels like everyone is prepared.
Her SDSU School of Nursing education is part of her preparation. Lucas recalls a rigorous curriculum taught by instructors who would assign projects designed to promote critical thinking. “They really wanted you to think about things in the real world,“ she said. She remembers lessons she learned in a critical care class taught by Assistant Professor and Graduate Advisor Beverly Carlson (’95).
Being from San Diego, Lucas said it’s heartwarming to know she is helping her community.
Aztecs Making an Impact
