On 19 March 2020, some faculty members from OLFU’s College of Nursing (CoN) took on their first shift as volunteer-nurses at the Fatima University Medical Center in Antipolo City.
The maiden batch was comprised of six faculty from the CoN of OLFU Antipolo, namely: Dean Luisa Uayan, Program Head Colleen Flores, Clinical Practicum Coordinator Evangeline Teruel, Nurse Joselito Habac, Nurse Ruzhel del Valle, and Nurse Lewin Solliven.
Before assignment to their stations, FUMC Antipolo’ Chief Nurse Lei Estacio and Infection Control Nurse Nathaniel Ragondiaz (CoN Batch 2012) gave them a brief orientation. Here, the volunteers were informed that their shift would be 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday to Fridays, until the end of the community quarantine. Two volunteers were put to work on the 5th floor General Ward, while another two were sent to assist in OR/ ICU, and the last two volunteers were asked to serve at the ER Triage.
These volunteers had to make life-altering adjustments so as to be able to serve as they are doing now. Dean Uayan, for one, had to make special arrangements for her aging and ailing mother before reporting for duty. On the other hand, Nurse Flores had to bring her child to Fairview to leave the young one under the care of Flores’ mother. Similarly, Nurse Teruel left her twins with her spouse. Nurse Habac had a serious conversation with his spouse and child about best alternatives on protecting themselves, before jointly agreeing for Habac to volunteer. Then, Nurse Del Valle made the hard decision of distancing himself momentarily from his loving spouse and four month-old baby. Lastly, Nurse Solliven had to wrestle with grave transportation challenges in order to serve in Antipolo.
There are also more Nurse Volunteers who are CoN faculty from OLFU Valenzuela and Pampanga. They have been advised by the FUMC Valenzuela Chief Nurse to be on-call and ready to report at any moment’s notice. From CoN Valenzuela, volunteers are Francis Vasquez, Francis Vincent Acena, John Paul Masangcay, Rosanna Suva, Jhal Espinosa, and Potenciana Maroma. From CoN Pampanga, volunteers are Arnel Buencamino, Marcellus Belisario, Manny Ramos, Anthony Ramos, and Jeffrey Bautista.
The founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, once said, “How very little can be done under the spirit of fear.” And, thus, OLFU’s courageous “nightingales” carry on to do as much as they can for the Fatima Community; expunging fear in their hearts and kindling, instead, the light of love for humanity.
Story credits: Dean Uayan and College of Nursing