Aaron Chy, BSc General, PharmD Student
One of our values that we believe in is helping patients make informed decisions through health promotion and education. One of our aims with this interview series is to bring awareness to the different healthcare professionals and health advocates around the world and how they’re actively involved in bettering the lives of others!
We were able to have the opportunity to interview Ieva Guogytė. Check out the interview below as she talks more about her profession and how she’s actively involved in health advocacy!
- First off all, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed Ieva. Tell us a bit about yourself!
Well, thank you for interviewing me! I am 24 years old and I currently live in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. I work in a private clinic as a nurse practitioner and after my shifts I work in my small studio where I create new designs for my clothing line “Ie Guo,” which mostly reflect the beauty of human anatomy and also classical style paintings.
- Can you tell us about your role as a nurse in your healthcare setting?
I work in a private sector where I’m able to provide any form of blood testing to my patients. These tests can help detect and prevent serious diseases including cancer, but the ones that really impress me the most are called NIPT – non invasive prenatal testing. Its a method of determining the risk that a developing fetus will be born with certain genetic abnormalities. I think that this is a huge step in modern medicine and I’m happy that I’m able to be a part of it. In my setting, I’m responsible for explaining the benefits of these tests to my patients, to help them choose the best ones for them. Afterwards, I then collect the blood samples from my patients myself.
- Can you share with us what the day-to-day routine looks like for you in your practice?
I work full-time in my clinic where I communicate with patients throughout the entire day. I have to ensure that I remain patient myself, and stay careful while getting the full anamnesis (medical history) of my patients, including their previous diseases and traumas. This is an important step in understanding the situation best. I also generally take a lot of time explaining the benefits of various tests over another so that the people I see can make fully informed decisions. All in all, I love my job because I can teach my patients healthy lifestyle tips, give a lot of advice and most importantly I can see the thankful looks on their faces.
- What was it that drew you into the field of nursing?
Originally I wanted to study art, but everything changed when I was in the 12th grade, right before graduating, when an artist close to my family told me I`d have no chance at becoming an artist because I lacked skills. Of course, this made me change my decision pretty fast. I lost my motivation and stopped drawing for a couple of years before eventually starting again. Still, I had to study something and though I’ve always been attracted to the medical field, I didn’t have the time to consider medicine so I chose nursing. Looking back now, I’ve never once regretted my decision because now I feel that these two specialties allow me to bring the best out of me. My love for medicine reflects in my art and my passion for art allows me to be a better nurse.
- What’s one thing you’d like to let people know about your job?
I’d like them to know that medical workers are also humans and we also get sick and tired sometimes (hahaha).
- What is one of the top pieces of health advice you’d like to share with the public?
Watch what you eat, stay hydrated and get your health checked from time to time even if you don’t feel sick yet.
- You seem to be a talented painter! How do you find the time to balance your hobbies with your professional life?
Thank you! It seems that the more you have to do the better you balance your time. Sometimes when I have a day-off I get to do much less than I do in a busy work day when every minute seems to be counted. It’s going to sound tacky but when you really want to achieve something you can manage to do a lot of things.
- Where can our audience reach you if they have any further questions for you?
If there are any further questions people can text me personally on Facebook – Ieva Guogytė, instagram – i.guogyte or guogyteieva@gmail.com.
