Cedars-Sinai Blog
Faces of Cedars-Sinai: Nurse Yvonne Prado
Infusion center nurse Yvonne Prado
Meet Yvonne Prado!
She's been a nurse for 16 years and is part of the infusion center team at Cedars-Sinai. At work, she administers chemotherapy treatment to cancer patients.
"Being active is really a stress release for me. I like hiking, doing triathlons, and marathons."
Outside of work, she can be found hitting the trails and training for her next race.
We sat down with the Los Angeles native to learn more about her work and her hobbies.
What drew you to working in oncology?
Yvonne Prado: The patients we treat are so resilient.
Of course there are hard or sad moments, but we get to help patients who are really scared.
When patients come in with a new diagnosis, they're overwhelmed.It's part of my job to help calm them down and help make them feel more at ease.
We also get to see people come in when they're sick and see them get better and that's amazing.
What's your favorite thing about your job?
YP: Every day is different. I learn something new every day and I never get bored.
In the infusion center, we have the opportunity to really get to know patients and their families, so that's a little different from other units.
How do you manage the stress of your high-pressure role?
YP: I try to create balance in my life, so I really like outdoor activities.
Being active is really a stress release for me. I like hiking, doing triathlons, and marathons. I've also done 2 ultramarathons and I've done Iron Man competitions.
I've run 11 marathons, including one in Berlin.
I've hiked Half Dome and Mt. Whitney, and last year I climbed Machu Picchu. That was a bucket list thing for me.
Right now, I'm training for an Iron Man in Austria.
"The patients we treat are so resilient."
What's left on your hiking bucket list?
YP: I'm hiking The Narrows in Zion National Park soon, but Patagonia in South America is one I've always wanted to do. I'm hoping to do it in the next couple of years.
What are your favorite LA hiking spots?
YP: I really like the Echo Mountain to Inspiration Point in Altadena.
And I like Los Leones Trail in Pacific Palisades. It's an 8-mile hike with nice ocean views.
What else do you like to do when you're not at work?
YP: I love traveling.
I've always wanted to go to Spain so I finally went last year.
I also really liked visiting Germany and Peru. But Spain is my favorite place I've been so far.
