In 2016, Alan was working as an environmental services technician in a hospital, surrounded by nurses. He was so impressed with their compassion and skill that he became determined to become one of them. First, he got his nursing assistant certification and started working as a clinical partner at Cedars-Sinai. From there, he worked his way through nursing school and became a registered nurse in 2021.
Now, as an orthopedic specialist, he is living his dreams, both as a beloved clinical nurse at Cedars-Sinai, and as a frequent volunteer on medical missions. As a member of Operation Walk, a nonprofit that provides orthopedic surgeries in developing countries, Alan has served as a post-operative nurse in Cuba, where he cares for patients undergoing hip and knee replacements and trains Cuban nurses to do the same. He has also volunteered in El Salvador with Priventa Health, a group that provides preventative and primary care to underserved communities.
At Cedars-Sinai, Alan has quickly become an absolutely essential member of the team. He is the co-chair of the MD/RN Collaborative, facilitating meetings for physicians and nurses and leading complex interdisciplinary conversations. He is specially trained in ultrasound-guided IV insertion, and has created a tracking program to make sure all staff have properly fitted N95 masks. Most of all, he has found his calling as a mentor and preceptor, supporting new nurses with deep patience and kindness, helping them to develop their practices and live their dreams, just as he has done.