CNMI Nurse Practitioner Roca Q. Sablan was one of the few local midwives at the Department of Public Health Labor and Delivery Ward for many years.
When the opportunity came to become a Nurse Practitioner in Women’s Health she took it and continued her education from the Northern Marianas College Nursing Program and Fiji School of Nursing to Harbor-UCLA Medical in Torrance, California.
Now, she joins an even fewer group of nurses specialized as Nurse Practitioners, a new standard in nursing that has evolved top meet today’s healthcare needs.
“I have always enjoyed helping women. I have this urge to get them informed on health issues. I was working as a Nurse Midwife since 1999 when I was offered to go back to school to become a Nurse Practitioner in Women’s Health,” said Sablan.
“I was so excited because I love taking care of women and babies. I was happy that I was able expand my role in women’s health and a bit of primary health to help our teenagers and women answer their health questions,” she said.
After several years though of doing what she loved, Sablan realized that local nurses were treated differently at DPH when it came to salaries and other benefits.
Sablan, along with other local Nurse Practitioners Bertha Peters Camacho, Luise Quitigua Noisom and Gayline Blau then filed a compensation discrimination complaint with the Civil Service Commission and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last year after waiting for a combined six to seven years for equal pay.
As a result, the Nurse Practitioner was classified as a position and a salary scale was created at the Office of Personnel and Management.
Despite not reaching their goal of leveling the playing field for local nurses, Sablan and the other local nurses knew they had started a path that so many others will have an easier time following as nursing professionals.
Sablan took another opportunity to work as a Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Midwife in a private, family practice clinic, Take Care Asia FHP Health Services.
“I am in a place where I have dreamed to be in. I am able to do my work independently. I have evolved to be a better person both personally and professionally. I work in a private clinic and it has been a great journey,” said Sablan.
“I mainly take care of women’s health care issues, prenatal check ups, and newborn checks. Occasionally, I do see patients with coughs, runny nose, abdominal pain, ear aches, a little bit of primary health. I also do physical exams for contract workers. I see a lot of local women and it is such a pleasure to be able to talk to all of them in our native tongue,” she said.
Sablan takes what she has learned as a nurse and applies it to her everyday life.
“Being an NP/CNM has helped me in so many ways. I have been able to keep my family and myself healthy. I have learned so much in the past years, especially now that I work in a private practice setting. Personally I try hard to keep the family healthy by doing what I preach to patients. Professionally, I am where I want to be, educating and treating my patients,” said Sablan.
“My advice to those wanting to take up a career in nursing is this: Nursing is the best choice you will ever choose as a career. It helps you personally with health prevention in your family setting. You will never be out of work. Nursing is a career that will continue to educate you,” she said.
“There are so many jobs when you become a nurse, you can work in an office setting, you can be an educator, you can be a counselor, you can be a provider, and so forth. It has so much to offer you in life. It gives you the best feeling ever when a patient of yours comes around and thanks you for what you have done. It is the most rewarding profession,” she added, smiling.
