The real-life Doogie Howser cares for patients in Camarillo, California.
Eliana Tenenbaum, an 18-year-old registered nurse who has already made history several times, has been working in the emergency room at St. John’s Hospital for two years.
“She applied with us when she was 16. Of course, it never happened,” recalls Dennis Richardson, the hospital’s nursing director.
After graduating from high school at the age of 15, Tenenbaum was Arizona State University’s youngest nursing school graduate.
Instead of going to a college party, working in the hospital is something she “fun,” Tenenbaum said.
“I’m extremely passionate about caring for others and doing healthcare,” she explained.
Tenenbaum said he wanted to take medicine at age three, inspired by his father, a primary care doctor at Thousand Oaks.
“I wanted to be involved in action and participate in emergency care,” said a registered nurse who took part in a double admissions program in high school so that she could take college courses while earning her high school diploma.
Despite her younger age, her colleagues in St. John described Tenenbaum as “surprising.”
“She still has that drive and that passion. You can say she started really younger in her life,” Richardson said.
Her work ethic has impressed some of the harshest critics, Dr. Christopher Psychez said.
“There’s a lot of work needed in the emergency department,” he said. “It shows dedication, work effort and a lot of focus, especially to do it at a younger age.”
While continuing to serve patients at Camarillo Hospital, Tenenbaum said he continues to study at Vanderbilt University and is realizing his dream of completing a nurse practitioner degree.
“I wanted to be a whole career that cared about my mind, body and soul,” said the 18-year-old. “I think nursing does an amazing job of incorporating that into healthcare.”
Tenenbaum is also working on a PhD in Nursing, scheduled to start at Duke University in August.
“I learn and grow every day, and I’m lucky enough to work with an incredible team of people,” she said.
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