My journey in the nursing profession began with my mother. From childhood, she taught me that service to others is a noble endeavour and always hoped that i would pursue a meaningful career that would help others in need.
Guided by my mother’s passion for helping others, I quickly came to realise that acts of service - even in small and simple ways - can make a huge difference in someone’s day. Fast forward to today, I’ve been in the nursing profession for over 15 years and have never looked back once. As a nurse, being able to care for my patients every single day and seeing the smile on their faces, makes me happy as well.
I first began practicing in the Philippines after graduating from the Metropolitan Hospital’s College of Nursing in Manila, and am currently the Head Nurse at Diaverum Singapore’s Tampines 1 clinic. I’ve been in Singapore for over 12 years now, and I’ve had the tremendous opportunity to grow professionally and personally towards my current role at Diaverum.
Our work is anything but routine or mundane. My usual day at work includes overseeing dialysis treatments for our patients, while working alongside my wonderful colleagues. While carrying out our duty, we also have the opportunity to catch up with our patients and find out about their day outside of the clinic. We see our patients multiple times a week, and tend to form close bonds with them and their caregivers. My greatest reward is seeing the progress of our patients, and the smiles on their faces when they see my colleagues and I. Often, they are excited to share updates on their lives with us – and we absolutely love being a part of this.
I believe that optimism is a powerful tool in all our lives, and is especially important when it comes to interacting with our patients. I remind myself that every single day is an opportunity to make good memories with those around us, have a good laugh, and show our gratitude for their kindness and trust. This was especially poignant when I attended the funeral of a patient that I had known for a long time, which served as a strong reminder to always show gratitude, express thanks and make positive memories with those around us.
I carry this belief in my personal life as well, and was put to the test during the Covid-19 lockdown period. Due to travel restrictions, I was unable to make my twice yearly trips back to the Philippines to see my wife and two sons. While we had to make do with video calls for those two and a half years, I was always grateful to have a job that I love that enables me to provide for my loved ones.
Being a part of the Diaverum family has been a great blessing to me, and I treasure the friendships that I have built with my colleagues and patients. I look forward to continuing to do meaningful work and making a difference in the lives of those that I interact with.