Health Services: Registered Nurse
Health Services
Registered Nurse:
Dee Ann Omatsu
Dee Ann Omatsu knows something about sacrifices and persevering things that go "bump" in her life. At 22, she was attending Kapiolani Community College's (KCC) nursing program when her first daughter came along and kicked her in the tummy. That didn't deter her. With a newborn daughter in tow, she went back to the University of Hawaii (UH) Manoa to complete her studies. In her final semester, along came her son who went "bump" in her tummy.
Riding Out The Bumps!
Dee Ann is now a registered nurse (RN) helping children fight cancer at the Kapiolani Hospital. That's not all. She's a mother of THREE kids, paying a mortgage, and holding down the home fort, while her husband is deployed in Afghanistan. AND she's back in school at UH to obtain her Master's degree!
The Road Less Taken
Omatsu is a living testament that success can come via the road less taken. Education has played a major role in her life. She says, "I didn't do it the traditional way. I always had these goals, and there was nothing that was going to deter me from that." She has now been working at the Kapiolani Pediatrics Department for the past 10 years.
Treating Children With Cancer
Omatsu works in an outpatient setting at the Pediatrics Ambulatory Unit, working 3 days a week from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm. The unit specializes in treating children with cancer and bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia, taking more of a holistic approach to healing. "I love coming to work. I love interacting with the kids and acting silly."
Minimum Requirement
The minimum requirement to become an RN is an associate degree in nursing (ADN). Upon completion, you need to pass the Board Exam to get licensed by the state. Dee Ann passed the exam in 1995, three months after completing her ADN. She also received her bachelor's degree from UH-Manoa in 1998. "Getting a bachelor's doesn't change anything in the workplace. Once you've passed the Board Exam, you're already a registered nurse."
Why The Bachelor's Degree?
"We grew up really poor, so I knew I never wanted to live the way I grew up. I didn't have any money for college so that's why I had to go to KCC and work my way up." With two pregnancies both coming at a time when she was still in school, it was rough. She says, "It wasn't in my plan, but that was something that got thrown at us, and you just deal with it." Now a mother of three kids (10, 7, and 3), she's trying to set a good example. "My goal has always been to be a role model to my kids, which is why I wanted my bachelor's degree because that's the minimum expectation I have of my kids….I just wanted to show my kids this is just it." She and her husband have their degrees and licenses hanging on their dining room wall.
Not The Perfect Timing
It has helped that she has a supportive husband. Now in their 13th year of marriage, Dee Ann tied the knot while a freshman at KCC. "He's been my rock from the get go. He will support me in anything, and that's what makes it easier." Her husband is a licensed engineer, scheduled to return home from deployment in Afghanistan in April. "It makes the school thing not the perfect timing. Again, another bump in the road, but I may not have the opportunity again."
No Perfect Road Map
According to Omatsu, math and science skills are the most commonly used in the nursing field, so they should be honed every step of the way. "Nothing is going to be a perfect little road mapped out for you. If you have a goal, just go for it."
Despite things that go "bump" in her life, Dee Ann, aged 32, keeps proving that she's in control no matter what challenges life throws at her.