Sana Khan, RN, CDN

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

As a nephrology nurse I perform dialysis on patients, as well as administer blood products and medications as needed. I work with doctors and other members of the healthcare team to assess, plan, and implement patient care plans to ensure their continuity of care. I also educate individuals and families on topics such as health, disease prevention, and medication administration.

What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?

Study every day. This advice came from a friend of mine who graduated nursing school a few years before me. In high school, I got straight A's and barely studied. Nursing school is much harder and requires the discipline to study for several hours each day. It is a sacrifice, but is extremely rewarding in the end.

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

I wish I could tell you I had some inspiring story that made me want to become a nurse and that I knew all along, but I don't. I took the practical approach. I made a list of everything I was looking for in a career. Those things included: helping people/direct care, job security, adequate income, decent job benefits (like PTO, health insurance, and tuition reimbursement), and lateral flexibility (being able to do different things within my field; for example I can be a nephrology nurse, ER nurse, flight nurse, Navy nurse, etc.) I then looked into a few careers that interested me and nursing checked every box off my list. Nursing has changed my life - I love what I do and I feel good about doing it.