Posted on March 21, 2022
by Christine V. Ordinario

Photo by: Sir Russel Owen Viloria

Got toothache? Headache? Colds? Cough? Fever? Upset stomach? Muscle pains? Heartburn? Dysmenorrhea? WE FIND JOY.

Need medical record of students? Medical lab results of employees? Referrals to medical specialists? Contact number of clinics and health facilities? WE FIND JOY.

Worried about our high systolic-diastolic reading of our BP app? Got colds over the weekend and uncertain whether to report to school or not? Need suggestions on home remedy or first aid for various ailments? WE FIND JOY.

Weekend. We are at home, it is unofficial time, it’s everyone’s rest day, but we need prompt medical advice. WE FIND JOY.

JOY. Proper noun. A.K.A. Lyzette, Red Lyz, Nurse Joy. Joy Lyzette Reguyal Carreon.

We usually address her in school as Ma’am Joy. The “small but terrible” description is already a cliché, but it perfectly defines her – what she lacks in height is exceptionally compensated by her performance as an employee and by the passion that she pours in her work.

A registered nurse since 2003 and a school nurse in Pisay for almost 10 years now, Ma’am Joy didn’t dream of taking the path she has taken. After high school, she enrolled in Computer Engineering in a university in Manila, but eventually shifted to another course. Convinced by her sister-in-law, she pursued Nursing in a university here in Nueva Vizcaya, and that was the beginning of her journey in the nursing profession that she learned to love, and which she passionately described, “Hindi man nursing ang una ko, siya naman ang huli ko.”

After finishing her degree, she took the board exam, passed it, and set out to face life in the real world. Topping the list of her employment prospects was to become a military nurse, but because of height qualifications, she was five inches away from fulfilling that ambition. With the aim of joining the ranks of the uniformed personnel out of her options, she worked as a home care nurse in Manila and Cabanatuan City, then moved to Saint Mary’s University where she worked as clinical instructor for eight and a half years, while at the same time rendering services as volunteer nurse at the Veterans Regional Hospital and MMG.

She also considered working abroad, especially that nursing is a lucrative profession overseas. She tried applying for Saudi Arabia but luck was not on her side. Just as she was about to apply for Canada, she sought divine intervention, and the sign that the heavens poured down on her was her acceptance at PSHS-CVC as school nurse. That for her was an answered prayer because she didn’t need to leave the country, more so leave her family behind, because her son and her parents are her priority.

As a Pisay nurse for almost a decade now, Ma’am Joy’s daily routine during the pre-pandemic days was checking on students, visiting the sick ones in the dormitories, responding to walk-in patients in her clinic, students and employees alike, who were asking for medicines, professional advice, or medical assistance. There were also days that she is hyped up by emergency cases: rushing patients to the hospital, informing the parents about the matter, communicating with medical professionals, taking care of the patients until their conditions become better. In these crucial times, she remained calm, composed, focused, and sharp – the epitome of grace under pressure.

When the pandemic began, the students were sent to the safety of their homes. With only the employees left as her clients, Ma’am Joy would have projected work to be a lot easier, but the threat of the virus makes work a little more complicated. When some employees contracted the virus and tested COVID-positive, Ma’am Joy ensured that she was able to take care of them, though not physically, but virtually, by checking on each of the patients, constantly communicating with them, giving them advice, referring them to health facilities, instructing them what meds to take, ultimately making the anxious patients feel better.

The pandemic took a toll on her job when the number of COVID-positive employees peaked, the hospitals and quarantine facilities were full, and the danger of contracting the virus is still something that she should not ignore. Despite these challenges, she managed to get through it, thankful that the PSHS-CVC community is a very strong support system.

With a father who has a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Ma’am Joy knows that her nurse duties extend even at home. She is always worried about catching the virus, that she might spread it to the people in their household, especially to her parents who are in their senior years and have comorbidities. Even while she is at work, she is always on-call, particularly for her dad’s emergency cases.

When asked if she would still want to be a nurse if she had another chance to choose another career, with honesty and conviction, she said yes, she would still choose nursing as her profession because she considers it as a selfless act. Through her profession, she can help other people feel better, and that for her is the greatest reward for what she does. She has her own share of problems to deal with, but when she helps other people solve their problems by making them healthy and well, she forgets about her struggles and her heart leaps with delight. With her current job in Pisay, she is thankful that her efforts are appreciated.

Ma’am Joy’s earnest care was greatly felt during the pre-COVID days, but more immensely so in this time of pandemic. She was responsive as ever, and her genuine concern for everyone, especially for her fellow employees who tested positive of COVID, was felt no matter how this pandemic has drawn limitations for face-to-face interactions. To say that she is one of most hardworking employees during these times is an understatement, and the Outstanding Employee Award that she was awarded recently is a much-deserved reward for all her hard work.

We know Ma’am Joy as a person who possesses a very tough character, but when it comes to her family, she turns soft as a feather. She has done a lot of sacrifices for her family, to the point that she would set aside her personal pursuits because she always puts her son and her parents first before herself. There were times that she just watched opportunities slip through her fingers, moments that she would have treated herself a dose of happiness she’s been wanting for so long, days that she would have thought more about herself, but she let go of all these because she values her family more than herself. Deep inside her heart, she knows there is a space that’s waiting to be filled, and that remains empty until the day she earns enough courage and chooses to find that missing piece.

With the close-to-two-years duration of this pandemic, undeniably, we were always FINDING Ma’am JOY. Now that the course is clearer and the situation is more manageable, we wish this hardworking nurse to find time for self-care and self-love, too. And we look forward to the day when finally, JOY FINDS JOY.