TULUNGAGUNG – Cardiac nurse Fiona Airel Destianita says discipline in communication and time management has shaped the way she handles pressure in one of East Java’s busiest referral hospitals.
At 24, Fiona now works in the integrated heart and vascular unit at Dr. Saiful Anwar Regional General Hospital, a top referral hospital where medical staff often face urgent cases that demand fast decisions.
Originally from Karangrejo, Fiona said working in cardiac care requires constant focus because every second can affect a patient’s survival.
“The heart is the center of life. The biggest challenge here is speed. I have to stay calm professionally while reacting quickly because every second matters for the patient,” she said.
She explained that the pressure inside the cardiac unit often forces nurses to balance technical accuracy with emotional control. That discipline, she said, did not begin in hospital training alone.
During university, Fiona joined student organizations and actively took part in campus leadership. She became involved in student government and also joined Indonesian Red Cross volunteer activities, where she trained in public speaking, emergency response, and time management.
Those experiences later helped her handle academic demands while preparing for medical competitions at national level. She won a silver medal in a national trauma assessment competition and also secured third place in a national first aid contest organized by Red Cross student volunteers.
In another academic competition, she took first place in a nursing care quiz contest in Kediri. Fiona said those achievements mattered less than the practical confidence they gave her when facing real patients.
For her, the most meaningful moments happen when patients recover emotionally after difficult treatment.
“The most memorable moment is caring for patients who almost give up. When they return home and quietly say thank you for staying patient with them, that feels more valuable than anything else,” she said.
She believes empathy remains essential even inside a modern referral hospital filled with advanced medical equipment. That is why she treats every patient as someone’s family member and tries to keep communication clear during treatment.
Fiona also says integrity remains central to nursing because trust often shapes how patients respond during recovery.
Although she now works outside her hometown, she still hopes healthcare services in Tulungagung Regency continue improving through digital systems without losing personal care.
“Health is the best investment. Do not wait until illness comes to value it. For fellow health workers, let us continue working with heart because public trust gives us strength,” she said.