Celebrating CRNA Week and IV Nurses Day with an inside look at these two unique specialties

At Northwell Health, nurses are celebrated and valued every day.  This week, we are celebrating CRNA Week and IV Nurses Day with an inside perspective from two of our team members. Read on to learn what Kevin and Polina have to say about their unique careers at Northwell.

Kevin Chavez, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) at Lenox Hill Hospital (LHH), started working at Northwell as a new graduate in 2020. As a CRNA, Kevin is engaged in the care for patients that are in pre-operative, intra-operative, post-operative, and emergency settings. “The CRNA role to me is the pinnacle of nursing practice. It’s rewarding and humbling to take part in so many varied situations that patients seek care for.” Nurse anesthetists administer anesthesia or sedation for surgeries ranging from minor procedures (such as same-day surgeries) to major procedures (such as open-heart surgeries)—and no two days are the same.

In the two years since Kevin began his career at Northwell, he finds that he is never short on learning opportunities, just one of the things he loves about his shifts at LHH. “There is encouragement to develop our skills on the job and through outside learning. I have attended multiple conferences and professional development programs to further enhance my practice.”

Taking advantage of learning opportunities and sharing knowledge is common among successful nursing teams, and is something that fellow registered nurse, Polina Bangiyeva, agrees with. Polina, RN, BSN, infusion nurse at Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital (MEETH), joined Northwell more than 10 years ago. According to her, infusion nursing is unique because, “both patients and other nurses on the unit rely on the distinct care that IV Nurses provide.” Infusion nurses treat patients with needs from hydration to blood transfusions, and many treatment types in between. Polina’s daily rounds may include administering medication and fluid therapy, teaching other nurses how to properly gain intravenous access and PICC insertion, monitoring patient response to treatments, and coordinating the discontinuation of IV services with the medical team, patients, and their families. “I’ve been an IV nurse for a long time, but I continue to love my job every day.”

Polina didn’t start her nursing career at Northwell, but having been here for over a decade, she believes it’s the best place to continue to grow her nursing passion. “I plan on taking advantage of the tuition reimbursement benefit. I would like to go back to school soon to become a nurse practitioner.”

Northwell is proud of the skilled and patient centered care our teams of CRNAs and IV nurses deliver to our communities. Discover a career well cared for and raise your career expectations with a nursing career at Northwell Health.