Empowering future nurses to serve with excellence, lead with integrity, and care with compassion.
For 31 years, Elma Jazz E. Macrohon has given her life to nursing. Today, the Doctor of Science in Nursing from Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, works as a Nurse Professor in Fujairah, where her mission reaches beyond a single bedside: shaping the nurses who will care for patients for years to come.
Shaping confident nurses
Elma calls her hardest job as a nurse educator teaching students to be good at nursing, and to have the confidence to care for their patients. “I’m just an individual and have always been proud to take on any challenge and learn from it,” she says.
She believes the greatest comfort nurses can offer goes beyond their knowledge of medical science. It comes from being better people. “The kindest conversation or the most soothing smile can be as good as treatment to relieve fear in the moment.”
“Nursing is a profession based on trust, hope and humanity.”
The Filipino touch of malasakit
For Elma, the unique Filipino touch is genuine malasakit: compassion, selfless service and a total willingness to help. “We provide a lot of empathy and we treat our patients warmly; we listen to them and we feel like we’re in their corner; we give our patients a sense of safety and belonging.”
A Filipino nurse, she says, pursues clinical excellence while staying kind, patient, and culturally and socially sensitive in every interaction. “I wish my patients and students remember not only the care I provided but how much respect and empathy I have for them.”
One universal language
Elma’s biggest culture shock in the UAE was adapting to a multicultural healthcare environment, where patients and colleagues came from many nationalities, languages and cultural backgrounds. Understanding different communication styles and cultural expectations was, at first, both challenging and humbling.
She overcame it by embracing cultural competence, listening actively, respecting differences and learning from every interaction. The experience broadened her perspective and strengthened her patient-centred care. “While cultures may differ, kindness, empathy, and respect are universal languages in nursing.”
“Mutual respect and clear roles are so key.”
Calm in a crisis
In a crisis, Elma stays calm and clear-thinking, responding first to what is most pressing and life-threatening. She stabilises the situation, ensures safety, then organises the resources available to meet the most immediate needs.
When allocating resources, she aims to be fair and clinical, making sure they reach those in need and being transparent about her decisions. Under high pressure, she believes a team needs clarity, mutual respect and clear roles to prevent confusion. Through it all, she leads with calm and compassion.
Her “why”
Elma’s lifelong “why” has always been to make a difference, not only for patients but also for the future nurses she mentors and trains. What keeps her in nursing is the chance to care for others with compassion, integrity and great care, while continuing to learn and grow with a changing healthcare system. Every patient and every student she guides reminds her to do so with care.
When people look back on her career, she hopes they will remember a good nurse who cared for others, and who cared for them with love.
“To my fellow Filipinos abroad, remember that every sacrifice you make today is a testament to your strength, resilience, and love for your family and your dreams. During moments of burnout or loneliness, never hesitate to seek support from your loved ones, friends, or colleagues, because you are not alone in this journey. Take time to care for yourself with the same compassion you generously give to others every day.
Believe that every challenge you overcome is shaping you into a stronger and more inspiring person. Keep your faith alive, stay hopeful, and always remember that your hard work and sacrifices will one day bear meaningful rewards.”
Filipino Institute features Filipinos at home and abroad whose courage, sacrifice and success inspire others. Tell us your story, or nominate a kababayan whose journey deserves to be heard.
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