Iryna Artymovych ‘18, ‘19, FNP ‘25 began work in Crouse Hospital’s Walter R.G. Baker Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in March 2020, just as the Covid-19 pandemic was beginning to grip the world. It was an enormously challenging time, but for Artymovych, it was not without beauty. She spent long hours caring for premature infants, many of whom were born at just 25 week gestation weighing less than five pounds, and answered their concerned parents’ questions gently and carefully. She forged relationships with these families. Today, she is still in touch with many of them through social media. That is the best part of this work, she says, seeing her earliest patients, once tiny and fragile, now thriving as happy, healthy, boisterous 4 year olds.
“They are very resilient little human beings,” she says.
A native of Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, Artymovych has long known that she wanted to work in health care. You might say it is in her genes. Her mother is a nurse, her grandmother and great-grandparents worked in the medical field as well. Still she was not initially sure what path her own career in this arena would take. However, after researching several programs and speaking to family and others in the field, she realized that nursing is was what she was called to do. It would allow her to spend quality time with her patients and to come to understand their needs so that she could best advocate for them.
Today physical and diagnostic exams are central to Artymovych’s work. However, it is also imperative that she meet her patients where they are and establish relationships with them that are rooted in trust. That means, among other things, understanding barries to health care. Some patients may lack the financial resources or insurance needed to obtain care; others may not have transportation to and from appointments; others still may face language barriers. Artymovych credits Le Moyne with helping her to understand these needs and with preparing her to be the best caregiver she can. She hope one day to open her own practice and serve members of Central New York’s Ukrainian community – diagnosing illnesses, prescribing medications, developing care management plans and more.
“When you leave Le Moyne you’re not just ready to take on a job,” she says. “You’re ready to serve your community.”
This story is part of a series of stories on the College’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program.
Among the attributes that make Le Moyne’s nursing program distinct is that it offers prospective students direct admission to the program, with a seat guaranteed to them if they meet certain academic requirements. In addition, students are able to take nursing courses during their first year in the program. They also have access to a number of academic resources, including the College’s Writing Center and Quantitative Reasoning Center and a professional nursing tutor.