Page 17 - MidWeek - May 4, 2022

MIDWEEK COVER STORY
MAY 4, 2022 MIDWEEK 17
FROM PAGE 12
Kawailehua Cornel, RN, BSN, board-certified PCCN
SWtraub Medical Center Pali Momi Medical Center
Jasmin Pacheco, RN
asmin Pacheco was born to be
hen Kawailehua Cornel was in preschool, her mother made a recording of the youngster vow- ing to do something grand when she grew up.
positive to help lift others’ spir- its in difficult times.
a nurse. It just took her a while
to recognize the signs.
The first indication that she
Specifically, the then 4-year-old boldly proclaimed in front of her graduating class, “I want to be a nurse to help doctors save lives.”
was bound for the medical field came when she was 16, working as a lifeguard and had to perform CPR
Funny how prescient children can sometimes be.
“We started sewing masks, baking treats and cooking plate lunches to raise money for local charities,” explains Cornel. “With the donations, we bought goods and food for the River of Life, Christmas gifts for kūpuna that were distributed by Catholic Charities of Hawai‘i, 900 pounds of food to the Ha- wai‘i Foodbank, three truckloads of school supplies for kids at Kahalu‘u Elementary School, (and) truckloads of Christ- mas gifts for veterans in need of large amounts of supplies for domestic violence centers.
on a 12-year-old boy in distress.
True to form, Cornel has been making good on her promise over the past 15 years, providing life-saving work to innu- merable patients at Straub Medical Center. She’s been able to accomplish this with whatever team she’s been assigned to — the surgical unit, the advanced medical-surgery crew, even the neuro progressive care group that she’s currently a part of. Wherever she goes, Cornel has been a model of efficiency and a beacon of hope to patients.
“It was the first time I
was exposed to someone
experiencing a medical crisis,” she remembers. “I realized that I don’t panic. Everything goes calm and I can focus.”
“Through these projects, we saved ourselves during some of our toughest times as nurses.”
The second hint came during high school prom when, following a fight that broke out between several attendees, she assisted a young man left with multiple stab wounds.
“I like helping people,” she says. “During some of the worst times of people’s lives, I have the opportunity to make their experience just a tiny bit brighter. I’m happy to do it.”
For those just entering the nursing profession, Cornel offers the following counsel:
“I stayed with him and kept him awake until the am- bulance arrived,” Pacheco recalls. “The EMTs told me that if I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, I should go into the medical field because the boy was alive because of me.
Helping others comes naturally to the proud graduate of Moanalua High School and Linfield College. When the pan- demic hit, for example, she chose to join forces with another team, nurses Alysha Ladiero and Jessica Custino, and do something beyond the walls of a hospital — and something
“The grass is green where you water it. And just because something has been done a certain way for a long time doesn’t mean it cannot be changed, often for the better,” she notes. “Also, do not take things personally. And make sure to take care of yourself first. You can’t care for someone else if you’re not OK.”
“He needed multiple surgeries but he lived, and we’re still friends to this day.”
For years, Pacheco ignored her instincts and these signs, despite acknowledging that “God kept putting people and situations in front of me to guide my path.” Eventually, however, she realized she could no longer deny the obvi- ous. Ready to finally become what she was always meant to be, Pacheco enrolled in Hawai‘i Pacific University’s School of Nursing, where she graduated in 2018.
LO
gram. Instead, he challenged her to stay the course, give
ori Ikeda, RN
“I had to dig deep and really give it all I had to become a nurse,” she confesses. “I had four children before I was 25, so I waited until my youngest was in preschool before going to nursing school.
ne of the best lessons Lori Ikeda ever learned came when a college instructor refused to let her imme- diately quit the school’s radiologic technology pro-
valuable hands-on expe- rience while developing greater appreciation for the nurses and doctors she labored alongside with.
Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children
“I remember studying with my baby on my shoulder and reading from anatomy books to my three older children. I learn better through teaching, so I would tutor people so I could master that class. But it was a way to get done what I needed to while spending time with my family.”
greater effort and then, if she still felt like withdrawing, he’d grant her wish.
To her credit, she was
accepted into the nurs-
ing program at Mānoa the following year. Now, 35 years and some change later, she remains the only nurse within the Imaging Department at Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children — an important note because radiology happens to be the same field in which she began her career.
These days, Pacheco is grateful to be working at Pali Momi Medical Center, where she recently completed her first year as a perioperative nurse. Finding employment at a place she fondly refers to as her “community hospital” not only fulfills her dream of working in an operating room, but places the Pearl City native in a position to help guide young people looking for direction — and maybe even signs — regarding their futures.
“He told me: ‘This is probably the hardest you ever had to study, isn’t it? This is not high school; it is time to grow up. Finish the semester, try your hardest and if you still feel like dropping out of the program, I’ll sign the (withdrawal) form,’” recalls Ikeda.
To those considering a career in nursing, Pacheco sim- ply says, “Trust your gut. Don’t second-guess yourself because your intuition sets the day.”
Since then, the Honolulu native has been resolute in her career pursuits. Even when her first attempt at applying for nursing school at University of Hawai‘i was rejected, she didn’t sit around and mope. Instead, she went to work as a ward clerk at Kapi‘olani Emergency Department, gaining
“If nursing is what you are truly passionate about, be hum- ble, be grateful and appreciate the opportunity to do what you do,” she says. “If you are selecting the career for the money, know that you will be fairly compensated, but there is much more to being a nurse than the money you make.”
The pep talk worked.
“I feel like my life has come full circle,” she says.
“That gave me the strength and courage to endure the rigorous studies and graduate,” says Ikeda, who ultimately earned her associate’s degree in radiologic technology from Kapi‘olani Community College.
For Ikeda, there is much wisdom and experience to share with aspiring young nurses. Aside from encouraging them “to never give up,” she also suggests the following:
SEE PAGE 18