Confidence to connect the dots

Doctoral alumnus Rayne Soriano share how his UC Davis experience impacted his nursing career

Rayne Soriano desired to explore beyond bedside nursing to see the bigger system of health care. With a decade of experience in the emergency department as a nurse, nurse leader and educator along with a deep expertise in data and informatics, he chose the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis to pursue his doctoral degree and expand his possibilities.

Rayne Soriano, a 2015 doctoral graduate from the School of Nursing, credits his advanced education for his evolving career at Kaiser Permanente.

“Being able to see the world through different lenses is a powerful experience that reflects the real world of health care,” says Soriano, a 2015 graduate of the Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program. “Unless you can connect with people from different points of view or backgrounds, it’s hard to change, much less influence change, in health care.”

Soriano says the interprofessional nature of the program lured him to UC Davis as it reinforced his philosophy of seeing issues through different perspectives. The experience continues to serve him four years after graduation.

“The thing I use the most is that before I dive into a new project or initiative, I really find out who the experts are, what they’ve written and studied, and then connect with them to learn about their experiences,” Soriano explains. “To this day, the school has given me the courage to lead from where I stand, not be afraid to be bold, and reach out to whomever you need and make that change.”

Soriano’s career continues to evolve at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California. He’s led electronic health records implementation in 21 hospitals and developed ground-up programs aimed at caring for the very vulnerable older adult and homeless populations. Now, he serves as regional director for professional development and education, supporting nursing staff and leaders with role progression, academic development, and elevating professional practice so nurses across the Continuum can thrive in an ever-changing digital environment.

“The School of Nursing has given me the ability to be flexible, pivot and change priorities and to expand my network in order to connect the dots for transformational impact,” Soriano says. “Surrounded by colleagues who inspired and believed in me, mentored by professors who empowered me to reach out and lead in challenging times - I got to where I am today in this timeframe because of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.”