Page 5 - MidWeek Kauai

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huge difference in our patients’ lives,” she says. “To 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
he passed away. I will forever be
es seeing patients’ reactions after they wake up from the anesthesia.
COVER STORY
MAY 10, 2023
KAUA‘I MIDWEEK 5
Lori Conley comes from a Waiʻanae 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 work- ing a retail job but realized it wasn’t the path for her.
medical center’s pediatric oncology department and the rest is history.
support our patients.
“My favorite part of the job
A
when she was a sophomore in high school. She initially wanted to become a nurse simply because all her friends wanted to become nurses, too. But Mancini soon realized she didn’t want to become a nurse just to follow the crowd — she wanted to make a dif- ference in the community.
To pursue nursing, Manci- ni attended Leeward Commu- nity College and then went on to University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Flash-forward to to- day and Mancini is a charge nurse in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit.
“It’s rewarding telling pa- tients their procedure is done and seeing the happiness and relief on their faces,” she says. “I feel like I’m the one who gives them the good news that the hard part is finished.”
So, she went to school to become a licensed practical nurse. She landed a role in the newborn nursery at Ka- piʻolani Medical Center and quickly knew the profession fit. She then moved to the
While Conley has been a nurse for more than 40 years, she says that she’s still constantly learning and travels across the country to attend yearly nursing con- ferences.
To Conley, being a nurse isn’t just a job or a career — it’sapartofwhosheisasa person. She enjoys being at patients’ bedsides and espe- cially loves that Kapi‘ola- ni is able to provide such high-quality care, thus allow- ing families to stay close to home instead of traveling to the mainland for health care.
When a friend asked her what her goal was, she re- plied, “I believe my purpose in life is to help people.”
“He guided and empow- ered me to reach my goal to become a nurse. He believed in me,” Mancini shares. “I had the chance to thank him for all his help before
For those who aspire to join the medical field as a nurse, Mancini offers the following advice: “Persevere. You need to keep moving forward. It’s never easy. It’s never smooth. It’s just life in general. But if you know what you want, go for it.”
Always Learning
Lori Conley, RN
Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children
It’s All Worth It
Alma Mancini, RN
Pali Momi Medical Center
She acknowledges numer- ous heroes helped shape her into the nurse she is today. Ernie Libarios, Mancini’s college counselor, is one of the standout individuals in her life who never gave up on her.
Coming Full Circle
Rochelle Bartolome-Steffens, RN Straub Medical Center – Kapolei Clinic & Urgent Care
grateful.”
She especially relish-
“When you find some- thing you love, you stick with it,” Conley explains. “I really enjoy working with the kids and the fami- lies. You see them during the most challenging times, but you find out how strong and resilient children really are.”
is when I’ve had my busiest day, and my patient and his or her family says, ‘Thank you,’ ” Conley continues. “You feel like you mattered to a child and that what you did somehow made a difference.”
lma Mancini grew up in Kalihi and moved to Pearl City
Being part of a close-knit community is important to Mancini. It’s why she enjoys being at Pali Momi. “My team is the best,” she says.
“Nurses can make such a
It’s 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 Flor- ence Nightingale, the found- er of modern nursing, to watching medical TV shows in high school, Oshiro knew her life would be dedicated to caring for others.
she made it happen.
“I worked hard to prove to
tobeapartofateamthat works so well together,” Os- hiro says. “I 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.
B Bartolome-Steffens
fens spent a lot of time in medical facilities.
her 2-year-old daughter. Bartolome-Steffens gave birth prematurely to her sec- ond daughter, who spent two months in the Intensive Care Unit at Kapʻiolani Medical Center for Women & Children. “She received great care from all the nurses. They in- spired me,” Bartolome-Stef- fens says of the nursing staff. “My goal after graduating as an LPN was always to work
Fulfilling her dream of becoming a nurse was challenging, but thanks to a strong support system,
“It is all worth it in the end,” Oshiro says. “I was on a slow path to nursing. It was a long, bumpy road, but it all worked out. Nursing is a very fulfilling career.”
is the work culture.
“I love my colleagues,” she
A Team Player
Charmaine Oshiro, RN
Straub Medical Center
hiro notes that her coworkers make it easy for her to come to
City to Kapi‘olani Community College, Bartolome-Steffens jug- gled her work and school schedules while caring for
myself that I could do it and to be able to give my kids all the opportunities I did not have,” Oshiro explains. “I’m so happy with all that I have accomplished; I would never change any of it.
orn and raised in the Philippines, Rochelle
“Being in and out of the hospital and witnessing the care they received made me want to care for others,” she explains. “I saw that nurses have the opportunity to not only help patients, but also to support their family.”
“I care for a variety of people every day,” Oshi- ro says of her endoscopy charge nurse duties. “It isn’t always easy, but I’ve made it my goal to always make ev- ery patient feel like they’ve gotten the best care that I could give.”
“I have been a patient at Straub since I was a child. Now, I bring my entire fam- ily to Straub,” Oshiro adds.
was always interested in medicine and health care. Her parents emphasized that family, faith and a good ed- ucation were more important than wealth.
Bartolome-Steffens moved to Hawaiʻi 15 years ago with her husband. In 2012, she became a licensed practical nurse and, four years later, a registered nurse. But like many nurses, her journey was not easy.
at Hawaiʻi Pacific Health.” Ultimately, Bartolome-Stef- fens did just that. She mentions that her favorite part about be- ing at Straub’s Kapolei Clinic
When asked about her favorite part of the job, Os-
From 5 a.m. wake-up calls to riding the bus from Pearl
says. “They each have indi- vidual strengths, but we are even stronger as a team.”
work each morning.
“It means a lot to me
She urges aspiring nurses to never give up and to take it one day at a time.
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 rela- tives became ill — including her grandfather, who had lung cancer — so Bartolome-Stef-