Temple TUFF: Women's Volleyball Alum Liz Prang

In normal times and in trying times such as the ones COVID-19 have brought upon us, medical professionals have been able to utilize teamwork to help make the world a better place.

For Class of 2012 graduate and former Temple volleyball player Liz Prang, growing up playing sports and succeeding as a team has led her to success in the medical profession as well. In the hospital "everyone has an important role in order to make the team function, which is similar to volleyball where you need each player to perform their function in order to score a point" said Prang.

During her four years at Temple, Prang studied public health before enrolling at Drexel to obtain her BSN and enter the nursing profession. In 2015, she began work at The Johns Hopkins Hospital where she worked in Post-op for Orthopedic, Trauma, and General Surgery.

While reflecting on her decision to join the medical profession, Prang said "I wanted to choose a career that challenged me on a daily basis while also making a difference in other people's lives."

Outside of teamwork, her time as a Temple student-athlete prepared her in many other ways. "You are up weight lifting or training before the sun even comes up and at practice or at the Tech Center finishing homework when the sun goes down only to get up and do it all over again the next day" explained Prang, "This hard work is the same commitment to being a nurse."

In 2016, Prang made a pivot into the Emergency Department at Hopkins where she found immediate success. "I started working on a challenging orthopedic and trauma surgery floor and transitioned into my dream career of being an ER/Trauma Nurse at the highest level of care" Prang said.

She explained her love for the work in saying "I love that I walk into a shift not knowing what I am going to be dealing with for the next 12-16 hours." In 2019, she decided to return closer to home and began work in the ER at Denver Health.

As a night shift emergency room nurse, even prior to COVID, the day was unpredictable and rigorous. In Denver, Prang is able to work with her twin sister in the trauma center. "I am very lucky to be able to go into work and also still spend time with my identical twin sister in times when people are away from loved ones" she explained.

While Prang is fortunate to be around her family, this does not mean her work is unchanged. "COVID has brought this big elephant into the room" Prang said, "We worry continuously about contracting the virus and potentially being a silent carrier that could spread it to our loved ones when go home at the end of the day."

One of the most valuable pieces of advice that Prang was able to pass along was to continue to stay in contact with people despite not being able to see them. In times like these it is very easy to lose contact with others.

"Over the past few weeks, we have been seeing a rise in domestic violence and suicide attempts. Please reach out to friends, family, or colleagues and check in on them!" Prang said.

In perilous times, the professionals that fill the medical community such as Prang stand ready to help those in need, and she along with her colleagues are prepared to do just that.

Temple TUFF: Women's Volleyball Alum Liz Prang

Players Mentioned

Elizabeth Prang

Temple University Athletics

Temple TUFF: Women's Volleyball Alum Liz Prang

Players Mentioned

Elizabeth Prang

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