When nurses Michael and Ruth Manaloto arrive at work, they expect to have a busy day evaluating and helping patients, working with doctors, and filling out reports. Long hours, rotating schedules, and stress—they’re all part of being a nurse. But even though this husband and wife may not share the same work schedule, they do share something special, a burden for their patients.
Fulfilling her childhood dream of being a nurse, Ruth (Nursing ’10, M.S.N. ’12) now works as a clinical nurse for Rady Children’s Hospital in an emergency shelter for foster children. At the facility in San Diego, California, Ruth and her coworkers take care of the children’s medical needs, whether complex or simple. The nurses handle assessment and triage, give medications, assist with treatments, and teach the children information they need to know about caring for themselves.
“I love being silly with them, teaching them at their developmental level, and helping them get through procedures that can seem scary to a child,” Ruth explained. Since Ruth works with children who are going through a difficult time, she recognizes that her role is very special. “I have been able to be a light to foster children who have been traumatized and sometimes need a reminder that they are important, loved, and cared for,” she said.
For the past three years, Michael (Nursing ’10, M.S.N. ’12) has worked as a registered nurse case manager for Kaiser Permanente, just a short drive from where Ruth works. In this position, Michael knows his patients depend on him to make knowledgeable decisions concerning their care. Most of these patients have either had a stroke or been in an accident involving a spinal cord or traumatic brain injury. Michael’s job is to evaluate the patients to determine the type of physical therapy program they need. “I assist the physicians in determining whether they need an intense rehabilitation program, a slightly less intense program, or . . . therapies in the outpatient setting,” Michael said.
Both Michael and Ruth Manaloto look back on their time at Pensacola Christian College as being valuable to their current success. In addition to classes and their preceptorship, Ruth explained that going to chapel regularly taught her to set aside time from the stress of work and life to allow the Lord to speak to her. “I have learned (and am still learning) to step away from my own fears and anxieties, be still, and call on the Lord to help me do what He has called me to do,” Ruth said.
For Michael, taking speech classes helped prepare him to deal with both patients and his coworkers. “I work in an area of nursing that is unfamiliar to most people, even to most other nurses. I find myself needing to explain in-depth much about who I am and what my role is,” Michael said. “My training has helped me learn to be both clear and concise in my speech.”
Each work day, Michael and Ruth depend not only on their training but also on their faith to help them care for their patients. Ruth explained, “The Lord has allowed me to be [a] light many times as a nurse, whether it be to a fearful child, a frustrated, overwhelmed parent, or a fellow nurse. He gives me joy and peace that shows in my interactions with my patients and coworkers.”
Michael has also seen the Lord work through him. “Every day, I see people who have life-changing injuries that they never expected they would have,” he said. “I have had the opportunity to provide spiritual care at times, to pray with some of them in their time of need.”
Even though Michael and Ruth Manaloto may have busy schedules and need a good vacation every now and then, they are happy to be ministering in the field the Lord has called them to. “The Lord reminds me constantly about how blessed I am to be where I am right now,” Michael said.
Read more about how God is directing and working through PCC faculty and alumni.