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Islands Hospice serves our patients, our families, and our community with a total commitment to excellence in hospice care.

December West Oahu Hospice Hero

Posted on December 2, 2019

Hospice Hero

Hospice Hero West Oahu
Romelyn Agonoy
Registered Nurse
Sometimes, making a connection is all about speaking the right language. Romelyn Agonoy is our December West Oahu Hospice Hero.

Sometimes, making a connection is all about speaking the right language. Romelyn Agonoy, RN, had a patient whose family couldn’t communicate in English, but fortunately, she spoke the same dialect as them and was able to provide support and comfort.

“I learned that we are remembered and appreciated not because of the amount of education we provide or medications we administer, but because of our loving presence,” she said.

Born and raised in the Philippines, Romelyn always knew she wanted to be a nurse. She left the country at 21 to pursue her dream, but after her father passed away, she was forced to put her career on hold so she could support her family. She worked two to three jobs, sending money back home, so her younger siblings could go to school. “My struggles motivated me to work my way up from a CNA to an LVN, then to an RN.”

She was working as an RN at another facility when an Islands Hospice nurse came by to care for a patient. “I witnessed how she took great care of her patients and their families and made sure her patients’ comfort was a priority. I was like, ‘I want to do that, too!’” she said. “Just in time, I was looking for a change in specialty.”

That was a year and a half ago. Now, the nurse she admired at her previous job is her colleague. Romelyn is grateful for the team she works with, who feels like family. “My supervisor is like our mother and my colleagues are like my siblings. Everybody makes each other feel accepted, supported, and appreciated.”

Although the days can be long, driving to visit five or more patients a day, staying as long as needed to provide care and comfort, Romelyn is glad to be where she is. 

“This profession is not easy and can be emotionally draining, but being able to support people through the most difficult time of their life is beyond fulfilling. It makes what I do more than just a job and me more than just a nurse.”

Sometimes, all it takes is a simple phone call to make a difference in a patient’s life. Kelci Schedler, RN, recently helped a patient and his family have an unforgettable experience.

Kelci’s patient, a movie buff, had a last wish of going to the theater. She called Kailua Cinemas, which agreed to a free private showing for the patient and his family. Kokua Medical agreed to transfer a bed to the theater, and Islands Hospice picked up the transport tab.