Health Science major gains experience in infection prevention
At an early age, UNF senior Peter Angelos developed an interest in science and hoped to be a veterinarian. As time passed, his interest shifted to epidemiology, and today, Angelos is gaining hands-on experience keeping hospital patients safe as an infection prevention intern at UF Health Jacksonville.
The California native is majoring in health science with a concentration in public health, while minoring in both health education and psychology. Following graduation in December, he says he’ll likely attend nursing school in the hopes of attaining a BSN. The consideration is largely based on the incredible experience he has had bonding with patients and colleagues at the hospital.As an intern, Angelos works closely with his manager and other hospital staff to gain greater understanding of infectious diseases such as Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Monkeypox.
His day-to-day duties include rounds throughout the hospital checking the cleanliness of the rooms and ensuring all equipment including IVs and catheters are set up properly. He ensures all equipment has up-to-date labels for the safety of the patients and staff. Additionally, he meets with department heads to perform equipment checkups throughout the hospital.
When he’s not on the move, Angelos attends meetings with colleagues to discuss hospital health trends and effective methods of tracking and finding solutions for infectious diseases. Aside from his general responsibilities, working in a hospital setting has also afforded him some unexpected and eventful opportunities, including witnessing surgical procedures.Angelos says he enjoys the patient and staff interactions he’s able to have working in healthcare and credits his co-workers with making his time at UF Health memorable. “They really took me in with open arms, and they’ve taught me so much already,” he said.
He's happy the internship affords him practical experience in his field of interest since many of his courses including physiology and anatomy were modified to a virtual format during the outbreak of COVID-19.
“I’ve been very blessed to have been gifted various opportunities,” said Angelos. “It’s been very interesting, and I really enjoy the fast pace.”