Ramon Agtarap, Bayshore Medical Center, is a monitor tech recently honored for his courageous commitment to upholding the standards of quality, safety and service at Hackensack Meridian and constantly striving to achieve operational excellence. Ramon will graduate with his nursing degree in September. (+ PHOTO)
- How long have you worked at Hackensack Meridian?
I have worked at Hackensack Meridian for the past 15 months.
- What inspired you to join the health care profession?
Over 10 years ago my wife and I were not aware that our world would be turned upside down. What we hoped to be a mild case of endometriosis that could be treated with surgery would eventually lead to a diagnosis of stage 4 ovarian cancer. At that time, we felt helpless, hopeless and a strong sense of sadness overcame us. We were deflated and thought there was very little hope. After getting my wife to another facility for a second opinion and being given a course of action by the oncologist, we got ourselves together and upon meeting with the nurses, we had a newfound motivation. It was to do anything for my wife to live, to survive and to thrive.
Throughout our journey we encountered some of the most amazing nurses one could ask for. They cared unconditionally, they cried with us, they laughed with us, and they celebrated with us. They never let us feel alone. It was the nurses that made life more bearable. Over the course of the 10 years that my wife underwent several procedures and was subject to a battery of medications, I learned that a nurse is truly someone who makes a commitment to your healing and recovery not knowing you from the next person on the street. It was this revelation that inspired me to pursue a career in nursing.
After 20 years of being out of school and working in the field of information technology I made the decision to return and finish my degree in nursing. I was so inspired by the exceptional care given to my wife that it only felt right to join one of the noblest professions there is. I heard the call to return to the clinical setting and I couldn’t ignore it. The message kept telling me to be an instrument to healing.
Working as a telemetry monitor technician, I have the good fortune of working with nurses daily and nothing can be better than this. I have the opportunity to continue getting inspired by experiencing firsthand the passion and compassion that it takes to be a nurse. The nurses I work with are helping to shape the future nurse that I will become. They continue to inspire and motivate me and are constant reminders of the nurse that I aspire to be.
Working at Hackensack Meridian has paved my path to becoming an exceptional nurse. One that will treat patients with kindness and compassion day in and day out. I was taught at an early age that passion is important when choosing a career. To become a nurse will epitomize that very tenet. Every night when I lay my head down, I can say with confidence that today I made a difference working hand in hand with nurses to maintain the highest standards to uphold patient safety and ultimately improve outcomes.
- What do you consider to be the best part of your job?
To be able to work with an amazing team of clinicians that are passionate about their work and focused on patient-centered care.