Dynamic duo of mother and son care for HCA patients like family
Healthcare is a true family affair for a mother-and-son duo at HCA Florida Aventura Hospital. Yovana Valentin, RN, who works with trauma, step down and telemetry patients and her son, Ricky de Jesus, a patient care technician attending Galen College of Nursing to become an RN.
Nursing is Valentin’s second career. After earning a bachelor’s degree in administration with a minor in marketing, she began working as a marketing coordinator at an international real estate company. “I was happy with my job but felt that I wasn’t making the emotional connections with people that are so important to me,” she said. Her then-husband was the director of a Cath lab, and her sister-in-law was a nurse. Both family members talked to her about the rewarding interactions they had with patients, as well as the innovative technology they were always learning about.
Eventually, Valentin decided to go back to school to become a nurse. She had a home in Puerto Rico, so she traveled there and dedicated herself to nursing school, graduating in just two and a half years. She returned to Miami and passed her NCLEX during the COVID-19 pandemic. Valentin now feels fulfilled in her career at HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, where she is part of a patient’s journey from trauma to step down.
“I really admire and enjoy working with my colleagues,” Valentin said. “I never feel alone and my charge nurse, a 30-year veteran with HCA Healthcare, is always there whenever we need any help. I also like that HCA Healthcare encourages colleagues to continue learning and stay up to date with technology. The extra perk that I get to work in the same hospital every day with my son is something I treasure.”
In contrast to his mother, de Jesus has known he wanted to work in healthcare ever since he was a child. “I always felt the desire to help people, and when I was in middle school my dad would bring me to the hospital, where I would visit the cardiovascular ICU and the Cath lab,” de Jesus recalled. “Those experiences taught me how broad the title of nurse is. I began learning first-hand what nurses do, and how many different areas of nursing there are.”
In high school, de Jesus did community service at the hospital as a junior volunteer. He joined the StarTech PCT program in October 2019, and eventually became a patient care technician. Stints at HCA Florida Blake Hospital, HCA Florida Kendall Hospital and HCA Florida Aventura Hospital followed.
“Then one day, I was walking through the hospital lobby at HCA Florida Aventura Hospital on my way to get breakfast and saw an information table for Galen College of Nursing. I looked into it, and was surprised and excited to learn that, if I chose to pursue a nursing degree, it would be funded by HCA Healthcare.”
In October 2021, de Jesus began classes at Galen College of Nursing - Pembroke Pines and plans to attain his associate degree in nursing in two years. He then plans to work in the ICU and continue his education, with the goal of becoming a nurse practitioner.
“All three of the HCA Florida Healthcare hospitals I’ve worked at have colleagues and leaders that really Care Like Family, and encourage other colleagues to grow,” he said. “The people I work with, including the leaders, are truly happy and supportive of my growth. I’m honored to help out in any way I can, and like everyone I work with, am dedicated to my patients.”