The path Sarang Raj, RN, took to become a nurse began with an adrenaline-filled call for help when, at age 11, he was coached through taking his grandmother’s pulse by an emergency operator.
“My grandmother became suddenly sick,” said Raj, a DNP student in the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing at UMass Chan Medical School. “I remember counting her breaths while feeling dread because I didn’t know what was happening. I thought, ‘I can't help anyone like this in the future unless I know what to do.’”
Raj’s grandmother was hospitalized but did recover and he went on to pursue a career in health care. As a teenager, he volunteered at St. Rose Hospital in Hayward, California, and later earned CNA, CCMA and EMT licenses. After graduating from the University of Illinois with a degree in psychology, Raj enrolled in the Graduate Entry Pathway Program at UMass Chan. He is earning his Doctor of Nursing Practice in adult gerontology in the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Track, with the goal of becoming a critical care nurse practitioner. He currently works as a nurse in the Emergency Department at UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital, Leominster Campus.
“Visiting the hospital, I always paid attention to the nurses,” said Raj, who grew up in the Bay Area of California. His parents immigrated there from Punjab, India. “Nurses can do anything they set their hearts on, and they’re some of the most skilled and knowledgeable people in any room.”
Raj is a self-proclaimed “ultrasound nerd.” Because ultrasound requires specialized training post-graduation, most nurse practitioner programs don’t include it in the curriculum. Raj taught himself basic ultrasound functions and how to do ultrasound-guided IVs.
“I’m trying to engage my department in a pilot study that teaches nurses how to measure stroke volume with ultrasound,” said Raj. “It’s an underutilized tool, but it gives so much information in such little time. I owe it to my patients and future patients to know as much as possible so they can receive the best and most immediate care.”
Raj is the diversity, equity and inclusion student representative for the Graduate School of Nursing Organization and is also involved with the Nurses for Equity and Justice Coalition.
“I like the idea of inspiring nurses to share their meaningful voices. We may be the best advocates for justice in the health care system because we are constantly fighting for it every day we are with our patients,” Raj said.
The Student Spotlight series features UMass Chan Medical School students in the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing and T.H. Chan School of Medicine. For more information about UMass Chan Medical School and how to apply, visit the Prospective Students page.
