![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekhawaii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/mw-cover-051023-hph-nurses-week-ac-10.jpg\")
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National Nurses Week may only be celebrated once a year, but the dedication of these individuals goes far beyond a single week. <\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever stayed in the hospital, undergone a procedure or visited a clinic, then you have been touched by the care of a nurse.<\/p>\n While their comforting presence can be overlooked, nurses play a key role in health care, and in turn the greater community. Whether it\u2019s advocating for patients or promoting healthy lifestyles, nurses are invaluable.<\/p>\n Of the more than 2,300 licensed registered nurses at Hawai\u2018i Pacific Health, 1,728 provide direct care to patients at Kapi\u2018olani Medical Center for Women & Children, Pali Momi Medical Center, Straub Medical Center, Kaua\u2018i\u2019s Wilcox Medical Center and clinics across the islands.<\/p>\n While some nurses have been with HPH for several months, others have been on board for more than 40 years. About 50% of HPH\u2019s nurses have been providing patient care for more than a decade, and about 15% for more than 20 years.<\/p>\n \u201cOur nurses go above and beyond every day in so many ways,\u201d says Amy Thomas, HPH\u2019s system chief nurse executive. \u201cThey are not only known for their compassion and commitment to providing high-quality care, they are also leaders in seeking and instilling excellence in our profession. Many of our nurses participate in continuous education opportunities to advance their degrees, volunteer to train and mentor new nurses, and obtain additional specialty national certifications to ensure the highest levels of care for our community.\u201d<\/p>\n HPH also has invested in the next generation of nurses by offering nursing academies and training programs for local students. It understands the importance of immersing nursing students in specialty training because that leads to enhanced competence among new nurses.<\/p>\n But the health care organization doesn\u2019t just provide opportunities to students \u2014 it takes care of its own nursing staff and offers professional development tools in addition to tuition reimbursements.<\/p>\n \u201cOur nurses also belong to professional nursing organizations, publish research and move the science of nursing forward through evidence-based practice projects,\u201d Thomas says. \u201cWe are so proud of our nursing workforce at HPH, and we truly thank them for their commitment to excellence!\u201d<\/p>\n To acknowledge the dedication of these hard workers and celebrate National Nurses Week (May 6-12), MidWeek<\/em> is presenting the following profiles on five nurses from HPH\u2019s various medical centers and clinics.<\/p>\n Meet Tiara Kali of Wilcox Medical Center on Kaua\u02bbi, Lori Conley of Kapi\u02bbolani Medical Center for Women & Children, Alma Mancini of Pali Momi Medical Center, Charmaine Oshiro of Straub Medical Center, and Rochelle Bartolome- Steffens of Straub Medical Center \u2013 Kapolei Clinic & Urgent Care.<\/p>\n Tiara Kali, RN Growing up on Kaua‘i, Tiara Kali spent a significant amount of time in hospitals because both her mother and sister had chronic health conditions. During these vulnerable moments, Kali recalls the kindness her family received from the nursing staff.<\/p>\n \u201cHospitals can be scary for kids, but the nurses made me feel so comfortable,\u201d Kali shares. \u201cI remember one nurse just holding my hand and telling me, \u2018It\u2019s OK.\u2019 Feeling that compassion during those difficult times inspired me at a very young age to become a nurse.\u201d<\/p>\n Kali got her start at Wilcox Medical Center nearly five years ago. Since then, she\u2019s been building strong relationships with patients.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the feeling of knowing that I was there to help someone through a painful and challenging time and that, hopefully, I made it a bit easier for them,\u201d says the resource nurse for Wilcox\u2019s Medical Surgical Unit. \u201cSome patients are scared to accept health care in the first place, so helping them understand that they\u2019re going to be OK is very rewarding.<\/p>\n I\u2019m a strong believer in compassion and humility, because once you have that, you can connect with any patient.\u201d<\/p>\n While Kali found her calling at a young age, she also reveals that it\u2019s always been her goal to work at Wilcox. To those hoping to join the nursing field, she says, \u201cKnow your standard of care and never deviate from it. Always start your shift with a positive attitude and be prepared for anything. Also, don\u2019t ever be afraid to ask questions.\u201d<\/p>\n Kali notes that she doesn\u2019t have one particular hero in the medical field because she believes everyone in the profession is someone to be admired.<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes a special person to say, \u2018I\u2019m going to serve my community today,\u2019\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Lori Conley, RN Lori Conley comes from a Wai‘anae farming family and was raised with a strong work ethic. Her interest in the nursing field blossomed when she was 20 years old. At the time, she was working a retail job but realized it wasn\u2019t the path for her.<\/p>\n So, she went to school to become a licensed practical nurse. She landed a role in the newborn nursery at Kapi‘olani Medical Center and quickly knew the profession fit. She then moved to the medical center\u2019s pediatric oncology department and the rest is history.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you find something you love, you stick with it,\u201d Conley explains. \u201cI really enjoy working with the kids and the families. You see them during the most challenging times, but you find out how strong and resilient children really are.\u201d<\/p>\n While Conley has been a nurse for more than 40 years, she says she\u2019s still constantly learning and travels across the country to attend yearly nursing conferences.<\/p>\n \u201cNurses can make such a huge difference in our patients\u2019 lives,\u201d she says. \u201cTo do that, we have to bring our best selves forward every day. We need to stay on top of our education and continue to learn and grow so that we can support our patients.<\/p>\n \u201cMy favorite part of the job is when I\u2019ve had my busiest day, and my patient and his or her family says, \u2018Thank you,\u2019\u201d Conley continues. \u201cYou feel like you mattered to a child and that what you did somehow made a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n To Conley, being a nurse isn\u2019t just a job or a career \u2014 it\u2019s a part of who she is as a person. She enjoys being at patients\u2019 bedsides and especially loves that Kapi\u2018olani is able to provide such high-quality care, thus allowing families to stay close to home instead of traveling to the mainland for health care.<\/p>\n Alma Mancini, RN Alma Mancini grew up in Kalihi and moved to Pearl City when she was a sophomore in high school. She initially wanted to become a nurse because all her friends had the same desire, too. But Mancini soon realized she didn\u2019t want to be a nurse just to follow the crowd \u2014 she wanted to make a difference in the community.<\/p>\n When a friend asked her what her goal was, she replied, \u201cI believe my purpose in life is to help people.\u201d<\/p>\n To pursue nursing, Mancini attended Leeward Community College and then went on to University of Hawai‘i at M\u0101noa. Fast-forward to today and Mancini is a charge nurse in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit.<\/p>\n She acknowledges numerous heroes who helped shape her into the nurse she is today. Ernie Libarios, Mancini\u2019s college counselor, is one of the standout individuals in her life who never gave up on her.<\/p>\n \u201cHe guided and empowered me to reach my goal to become a nurse. He believed in me,\u201d Mancini shares. \u201cI had the chance to thank him for all his help before he passed away. I will forever be grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n She especially relishes seeing patients\u2019 reactions after they wake up from the anesthesia.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s rewarding telling patients their procedure is done and seeing the happiness and relief on their faces,\u201d she says. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m the one who gives them the good news that the hard part is finished.\u201d<\/p>\n Being part of a close-knit community is important to Mancini. It\u2019s why she enjoys being at Pali Momi. \u201cMy team is the best,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n For those who aspire to join the medical field as a nurse, Mancini offers the following advice: \u201cPersevere. You need to keep moving forward. It\u2019s never easy. It\u2019s never smooth. It\u2019s just life in general. But if you know what you want, go for it.\u201d <\/p>\n Charmaine Oshiro, RN It\u2019s always been all things nursing for Charmaine Oshiro. She attended a career fair in the ninth grade and it was there that she became captivated by the industry. From writing research papers about Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, to watching medical TV shows in high school, Oshiro knew her life would be dedicated to caring for others.<\/p>\n Fulfilling her dream of becoming a nurse was challenging, but thanks to a strong support system, she made it happen.<\/p>\n \u201cI worked hard to prove to myself that I could do it and to be able to give my kids all the opportunities I did not have,\u201d Oshiro explains. \u201cI\u2019m so happy with all that I have accomplished; I would never change any of it.<\/p>\n \u201cI care for a variety of people every day,\u201d Oshiro says of her endoscopy charge nurse duties. \u201cIt isn\u2019t always easy, but I\u2019ve made it my goal to always make every patient feel like they\u2019ve gotten the best care that I could give.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked about her favorite part of the job, Oshiro notes that her coworkers make it easy for her to come to work each morning.<\/p>\n \u201cIt means a lot to me to be a part of a team that works so well together,\u201d Oshiro says. \u201cI not only have support from people in my department, but also have the privilege of working in a medical center where so many people share the same values and passion for patient care.<\/p>\n \u201cI have been a patient at Straub since I was a child. Now, I bring my entire family to Straub,\u201d Oshiro adds.<\/p>\n She urges aspiring nurses to never give up and to take it one day at a time.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is all worth it in the end,\u201d Oshiro says. \u201cI was on a slow path to nursing. It was a long, bumpy road, but it all worked out. Nursing is a very fulfilling career.\u201d<\/p>\n Rochelle Bartolome-Steffens, RN Born and raised in the Philippines, Rochelle Bartolome-Steffens was always interested in medicine and health care. Her parents emphasized that family, faith and a good education were more important than wealth.<\/p>\n At 13, Bartolome-Steffens spent her recess and lunch periods in the school library soaking up knowledge about pediatric diseases. As she grew up, several close relatives became ill \u2014 including her grandfather, who had lung cancer \u2014 so Bartolome-Steffens spent a lot of time in medical facilities.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing in and out of the hospital and witnessing the care they received made me want to care for others,\u201d she explains. \u201cI saw that nurses have the opportunity to not only help patients, but also to support their family.\u201d<\/p>\n Fifteen years ago, Bartolome-Steffens moved to Hawai‘i with her husband. In 2012, she became a licensed practical nurse and, four years later, a registered nurse. But like many others in her profession, her journey was not easy.<\/p>\n From 5 a.m. wake-up calls to riding the bus from Pearl City to Kapi\u2018olani Community College, Bartolome-Steffens juggled her work and school schedules while caring for her 2-year-old daughter.<\/p>\n Bartolome-Steffens gave birth prematurely to her second daughter, who spent two months in the Intensive Care Unit at Kapi\u2018olani Medical Center for Women & Children.<\/p>\n \u201cShe received great care from all the nurses. They inspired me,\u201d Bartolome-Steffens says of the nursing staff. \u201cMy goal after graduating as an LPN was always to work at Hawai‘i Pacific Health.\u201d<\/p>\n Ultimately, Bartolome-Steffens did just that. She mentions that her favorite part about being at Straub\u2019s Kapolei Clinic is the work culture.<\/p>\n \u201cI love my colleagues,\u201d she says. \u201cThey each have individual strengths, but we are even stronger as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" National Nurses Week may only be celebrated once a year, but the dedication of these individuals goes far beyond a..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":1971,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover-story"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekhawaii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/mw-cover-051023-hph-nurses-week-ac-6.jpg\")
<\/p>\nUtilizing Compassion<\/h3>\n
\nWilcox Medical Center <\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekhawaii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/mw-cover-051023-hph-nurses-week-ac-5.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAlways Learning<\/h3>\n
\nKapi\u2018olani Medical Center for Women & Children<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekhawaii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/mw-cover-051023-hph-nurses-week-ac-4.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIt\u2019s All Worth It<\/h3>\n
\nPali Momi Medical Center<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekhawaii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/mw-cover-051023-hph-nurses-week-ac-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nA Team Player<\/h3>\n
\nStraub Medical Center <\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekhawaii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/mw-cover-051023-hph-nurses-week-ac-3.jpg\")
<\/p>\nComing Full Circle <\/h3>\n
\nStraub Medical Center \u2013 Kapolei Clinic & Urgent Care <\/em><\/p>\n