Page 26 - May 2019 with HCHeroes

Salute to Nursing... Salute to Nursing... Salute to Nursing... Salute to Nursing... Salute to

NORTH SHORE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI MILLER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
MEDICAL CENTER
Gustavo Castillo, RN

Gustavo Castillo, RN, decided to become a nurse when he saw the difference
nurses made for his father before he passed away. “That was the moment when
I saw what nurses do at a difficult time for patients,” he said. “That’s why I real-
ized that was what I’d like to do. We do that every day, not only for patients
but for family members too – they go through difficult times and you have to
be there for them.”
Castillo now works with oncology patients of Sylvester Comprehensive
Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, after
they have surgery at UHealth Tower. He moved from Cuba to Greece for some
of his education, and then he finished his nursing studies at Miami-Dade
College and Chamberlain College of Nursing. Before coming to UHealth
Tower, Castillo worked at West Gables Rehabilitation Hospital.
“He’s extremely outgoing, he cares a lot about his patients, and they really feel a connection with him,”
said Allen M. Johnson, BSN, RN, nurse manager of the surgical oncology stepdown unit. “He makes every-
thing a priority when it comes to the patient. He is certainly one of our stars.”
Pattie Kissoon, BSN, MSN, ARNP
Cristina Chong, RN
Pattie Kissoon loves making people happy and car-
ing for others. That is why she became a nurse. Pattie When Cristina Chong, RN, moved from Cuba to the United States at age 25,
has been working at North Shore Medical Center for she saw a perfect opportunity to help people, and began studying to become a
the last three years. She oversees two units, and is the nurse. She earned an associate’s degree at Miami-Dade College, became certi-
Director of Telemetry. In this role, she supervises the fied as a critical care nurse, earned a bachelor’s degree, and is close to complet-
nursing staff and she assists patients and family mem- ing her master’s. After several years at the University of Miami/Jackson
bers with their needs. She graduated from Memorial Hospital, she now works in the intensive care unit at Sylvester
Chamberland College with her Bachelors and Masters Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School
in Nursing. In her spare time, she loves to go to the of Medicine.
gym, spend time with her family and go to the beach. Why the ICU? “I like the challenge of learning every single day,” Chong said.
The advice she has for people that want to enter the “We are the ones who are 24 hours at the bedside. We’re the first impression
profession of nursing is that one must want to serve and the last impression for the patients – we do everything for them.”
and care for others. It is important to Chong to be part of a teaching hospital. “You learn from
everybody, including the doctors and the fellows. Because they are at the bedside all the time, you can learn
new procedures and new protocols to help patients.”

Hospice Nurses Create

Lasting Impressions

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26 May 2019 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News