NurseRegistry is always excited to honor nurses that go above and beyond with the Melissa A. Fischer Nursing Award.
Fermin Abac, LVN is a sought after nurse thanks to his constant dedication, hard work, and kindness. His ability to think outside the box and adapt to all types of environments has made him an even stronger nurse – he loves helping and healing others and says that, “…being a nurse defines the meaning of human kindness at the highest level.”
Fermin Abac was recently named the Fall 2022 Recipient of the coveted Melissa A. Fischer Nursing Award.
Your Journey
IN THIS ARTICLE
How long have you been a nurse and when did you know this was the career path for you?
I was an LVN for about 6 years and it was last year (2021) when I discovered that this is way that I can be the nurse that I want to be.
What specific lessons have you learned from being a nurse?
Shortly after becoming an LVN, I learned that adaptability is important in order to face the challenges of working in new environments, specifically in different skilled nursing facilities (SNF) in order to widen my nursing skills and knowledge of facility organization and its functions.
I learned that the display of hard work and wide nursing skills are the main factors that are considered by employers to agree with pay rates.
I also learned that opportunities for continuing education and professional development are always there and waiting for any nurse who is blessed with the time to pursue them.
Your Day-to-Day
What is your favorite part of being a nurse and what makes you smile at work?
My favorite part of being a nurse is competently doing my role in health promotion, disease prevention, rehabilitation, or resolving a case on my own or in a team effort.
Everything can make me smile at work, even when things get tough and I realize that I can’t act like I’m more sick than the patients that I take care of.
Your Time Off
Favorite ways to relax on your days off?
Sleep and cardio-respiratory exercise to recover. I watch stand up comedies, Just For Laughs episodes, and action movies on Netflix or YouTube.
Currently, my wife is taking care of her mother in the Philippines. I would rather be working as much as I can and for as long as I have time, so that I get a month of vacation in a year to visit her.
Your Reflections
What life lessons or inspiration have you gathered from nursing?
More than it is an apocalyptic skill, being a nurse defines the meaning of human kindness at the highest level.
What is your most treasured memory as a nurse?
I have so many treasured memories as a nurse to count. My DON in my first job gave me a nice stethoscope as a compliment knowing from the client and client’s room mates that I resolved his impending MI the night before with two doses of nitroglycerin in a calm way without me showing any sign of panic being a licensed nurse for only two months.
A client in a SNF was placed in hospice and was reversed and sent home – I was thankful that I helped him resolve his Stage 3 pressure ulcer.
Remembering how thankful those alert bed and wheelchair bound patients with immobility problems are in what they call my “magic cocktail” that resolves and prevents their occasional Stage 1 or 2 pressure ulcers from regressing into Stage 3 or worse.
Being regarded as dependable by my fellow LVNs and CNAs that I work with. In detox and behavioral health nursing, showing empathy and sharing the stages of grief are appreciated by my clients serving them as clues how to cope with their problems.
What advice do you give nurses starting out?
My advice to the new nurses starting out is, the best greeting you can give to bed bound clients other than smiling with your caring words is to give them a back rub. Always think outside the box and practice the skills you learn to be proficient.
During tough times, you can’t act like you are more sick than the sick people in your charge, so always stay solid. Take care of yourself, take time for cardio-respiratory exercise, buy socks with 15-20 mmHg compression to improve circulation of blood flow and oxygen and elevate your legs over a wedge pillow when you sleep.
Pray to GOD–the giver of life that you take care of.
Read about Summer 2022’s Nursing Award Recipient: May Antoniette Cruz, RN.
