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Skyler Nishiyama & Kayla Yosemori
July 29th, 2021
PBA Alumni To Begin Careers in Medicine at the Same Northwest Medical Center
Two Pacific Buddhist Academy alumni will soon begin nursing positions at the Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. Skyler Nishiyama (class of 2016) will start in August as an RN in the neuroscience and kidney transplant unit. Kayla Yosemori (class of 2017) will start in October in the medical-surgical gastrointestinal unit.
Virginia Mason is the largest and foremost kidney transplant center in the Puget Sound area, providing services to several Northwest states. Skyler, who graduated cum laude from the University of Hawaii at Hilo, will work with a variety of patients, including those recovering from complex spinal surgeries and acute kidney rejections. He is most passionate about the progressive neuroscience sections of the unit that serve as a step-down from the neuroscience intensive care unit, where he hopes to work in the future. “There is a whole world of neurological disorders that I’m excited to delve deeper into. There are still unsolved mysteries about the brain and how our neurons work. An interesting aspect of my work will be seeing how cerebrovascular accident patients recover,” said Skyler.
Some major areas of interest for Kayla, who graduated cum laude from Seattle University, include exploring how alternatives to plastic can help to reduce the healthcare system’s environmental impact and learning more about the system’s flaws in overlooking vulnerable populations. “I have a lot of long-term healthcare goals that I’d like to educate myself about,” explained Kayla. “Within the first few years of my nursing practice, I hope to learn the foundation and basics within the general Med Surg field while floating to different units to explore any potential interests.”
Kayla and Skyler shared how they have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Skyler explained, “One thing that I am excited to explore is the effects of long-COVID. This is marked by some neurological features such as brain fog, memory issues, and sensory changes. Some research suggests that there is an increased risk of developing certain types of dementia. I am hoping that I will get to be at the forefront of discovering the long-term neurological effects of COVID-19.”
Kayla shared about her volunteer work saying, “During my time at Seattle University, I was involved in clinical experiences that showed me strong bonds of community between healthcare workers as the pandemic reached its peak. My first experience of this was while volunteering at a COVID-19 vaccination site administering vaccines to essential workers alongside doctors, nurses, and some of my nursing professors.”
Skyler and Kayla both credit PBA for helping to prepare them for their upcoming career in the medical field. Kayla explained, “Throughout my nursing schooling, I noticed many parallels between PBA’s emphasis on compassionate Buddhist values and the idea of providing holistic care for a patient. Practicing medicine with an open mind towards all patients and engaging with empathy in each interaction led me to find nursing as a very fulfilling career path I couldn’t have found without my foundation from PBA.”
Skyler shared, “Most high schoolers are not pleasant and I can say confidently that I was one of those high schoolers.” [Editor’s note: Skyler was a very pleasant student, if at times a bit rascal.] “There were definitely times when the teachers at PBA could have kicked me out; regardless, they kept believing in me and nudging me in the right direction. Many educators get it wrong by pushing their ideas of life onto kids, but the teachers at PBA accepted me as they do with every student there. The main philosophy of PBA is to accept all people as they are; I know this because it is what Mr. Toyama would say. PBA taught me how to accept all things as they are.”
Pacific Buddhist Academy wishes both Kayla and Skyler a successful start to their new careers at Virginia Mason Medical Center!
