“I applied for a job, and I found a family”

Surgical Scrub Tech Anastasiya moved to the United States from Ukraine eight years ago and joined our team in Portland nearly three years ago. Anastasiya says Providence—and the sense of belonging she’s felt working here—helped her move from being shy and uncertain to confident in herself and career. “I applied for a job, and I found a family,” she says.

Finding her path, and voice, at Providence

After settling in Oregon and getting more comfortable with the English language, Anastasiya thought it could be the right time to go back to college to pursue a career in healthcare. She shares, “For the longest time, I didn’t believe in myself. I was kind of holding back. But you just never know your potential. You have to try.”

Anastasiya jokes about needing to take a dictionary to her classes but swells with pride when she talks about finishing school with a 4.0. It was during her school clinicals that she first encountered Providence. “I did my clinicals at three places and Providence was just different. I knew right away this is where I wanted to be. I applied for a job and found a new family. The interview process was amazing—calm and down to earth. I didn’t have to pretend; I was just myself. My manager and I were on the same page, and I knew I wanted to be part of it.”

She says that after applying at Providence, she got a self-esteem boost when she was chosen for the role. “When I came in, I was so shy. I was so quiet,” she says. “And now surgeons trust me, and this makes my day every day. I love coming to work.”

A work family that showed up for Anastasiya from day one

Anastasiya says she felt welcomed immediately—but didn’t expect the type of support she received when she faced a family situation early in her employment. Says Anastasiya, “My daughter was sick, and I was about to quit. I gave my two weeks’ notice to my manager and he called me and asked why. I explained and he said, ‘We are going to keep your position. Spend some time with your daughter. Just take some time, don’t quit.’ And honestly, I could not believe it. I took some time off, I came back, and they offered me a different shift that works better. I was in awe. And that’s what helped me understand how important it is to have this community.”

She says she continues to be grateful for her managers and entire team. “My managers have faith in me and it gives me faith. I feel like I’m not getting older, I’m getting younger because I can do all these cases and I can learn something new.”

A feeling of belonging

Anastasiya says that diversity and inclusiveness is one of the best things about working at Providence. “We have a lot of people from different countries and even like different beliefs,” she says. “They will support you. They will let you be yourself. And this is a great thing about Providence.”

She shares that there’s a camaraderie at work across roles and experience levels, as well. “Even with surgeons and anesthesiologists, nobody’s higher or lower. You don’t feel like, if you’re a scrub tech, nobody’s going to talk to you. We have, I don’t know how many scrubs, how many nurses we have and anesthesiologists and surgeons—probably more than a hundred. But I know every one of them and they know me.”

Anastasiya says she’s trying to recruit her friends to the Providence team because she wants everyone to feel as happy about going to work as she does. “Out of this small shy girl, I became a successful scrub tech. I can feel it. I can do so much more. And I know that there’s so much more for me waiting in the future.”

If you’re interested in building your future career at an organization that inspires you to dream big, view all open roles.