How nurse anesthetist, Naz Tomassian has made his commitment to caring for others translate into running an artisanal donut shop in his local community.
Loma Linda University School of Nursing alumnus, Naz Tomassian, ’08, has always had a heart for service vital for working in food and hospitality but it has been an interesting road that has led him from nursing to opening his own artisanal donut shop in downtown Redlands, California. Tomassian was attending La Sierra University in the early aughts when he originally had his eye on anesthesiology for a career. But through a few chance encounters and formative conversations he learned about the career path to nursing anesthesia and that changed everything for him. Naz admits that nursing wasn’t originally on his radar, saying, “I was only 17. I thought it was a cool concept but I had never spent time in a hospital and at the time the idea of being a nurse was sort of new to me. Once I learned more about what CRNAs (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists) were I switched my major from pre-medicine to pre-nursing.”
From there his nursing journey began and after graduating from LLUSN’s undergraduate program he went straight to Loma Linda University Medical Center’s ICU where he received rigorous hands on experience with the guidance and support of countless mentors and colleagues. Naz credits these formative experiences in making him the best nurse he could be, saying “So many new nurses start with tunnel vision and try to ‘fake it til you make it’ but because of the advice and support of my team I was prepared.” It didn’t stop there for Naz, as his career led him to being cross-trained in the ER and to a role in transport nursing, each with new experiences and new colleagues to learn and grow from. “[I was able to work with] some of the best nurses and I gained a strong foundation in my career as a nurse as a result.”
After a number of years working as a nurse, Naz decided to take the leap into CRNA school and start the next chapter in his nursing education at National University in Fresno, California. School was rigorous and clinicals were challenging but Naz says nursing anesthesia is a higher level of responsibility. “There is a gravity to what is at stake [as a CRNA]. You are called to deliver the best and safest care to patients who are trusting you, at their most vulnerable moment—going into surgery and being asleep. It is one of the greatest privileges to be given.” Tomassian finished the program in 2014 and went to work in an all CRNA practice at a Level 2 trauma center in Arizona for 2 years.
Flash forward a 10 years and a new dream came true for Naz. After nearly a decade of planning, he and business partner Justin Roldan were able to open Deaux, an artisanal donut shop in Redlands, California. Naz and Justin shared a deep sense of community and a vision to create a generational legacy and build something for their kids to be able to grow up with and have one day. In doing so, the duo have created something that the community around them is already falling in love with. Naz speaks with affection for the old fashioned role the establishment can fulfill in the community, saying, “People come into the shop every day and connect with us. Redlands is a small town and that’s what Deaux is made for. We are more than a donut shop. We are a meeting place. We are a gathering spot. We are a destination for people to connect.”
Tomassian views his passion to serve as a foundational part of him from before he even pursued nursing, saying, “I think there is a heart for service in who I am. Being Armenian and Jordanian, it is in our blood to be hospitable and my parents really instilled that in me.” But he also cites his experience as a healthcare provider as a valuable strength in his role now. “There are a lot of similarities between what I’ve done as a nurse and what we provide at Deaux. Whether it’s a cup of craft coffee or providing a laboring mother with an epidural the same approach to detailed care is taken. My heart is my heart regardless of which industry I’m in. I just love making people happy, whether its in nursing and anesthesia or with donuts and coffee.”
While Naz has scaled back his role as a CRNA (he is the administrator of his own practice now), he still finds the satisfaction of taking care of patients fulfilled in his role at Deaux. “My favorite thing is being in the shop all day. Its making the donuts and smelling the coffee. Meeting new people and seeing familiar faces. Everyone has memories of going to their favorite donut shop growing up and bringing home a bunch of treats and I would love for Deaux to be a part of those memories for a whole new generation.” With Deaux already making a positive impact in the Redlands community it seems like the mission is already being accomplished. Naz adds one sentiment to it though, saying, “At Deaux, we treat it like our house, and everyone that steps through those doors are now in our house, and now part of our Deaux family. Aside from the great items we offer, we want people to know they’re at home with us.”