THE STORY OF A FILIPINO NIGHTINGALE:

FEU NURSING ALUMNUS AWARDED WITH FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MEDAL

By John Vincent C. Cruz

From being a small-town boy in Lobo, Batangas, to becoming one of the highly esteemed medical practitioners in London, United Kingdom, Far Eastern University (FEU) Institute of Nursing (IN) Batch 1997 alumnus, and first Filipino recipient of the Florence Nightingale medal, Mr. Dennis Paquiz, RN took a trip down memory lane in his journey of hurdles, perseverance, and success.

Humble beginnings

Paquiz was born and raised in the small village of Soloc, located on the sandy beaches of Lobo, Batangas City. During his formative years, he went to Soloc Elementary School and Malabrigo National High School, where he became the class valedictorian.

“My parents did not have enough money to send me to a University… and my grandmother was in and out of the hospital, so I usually accompanied her,” he shared.

Paquiz then moved out of his province at the age of sixteen. He worked at Isetann Cinerama Complex on Recto Avenue to make ends meet. In between lunch breaks, the young worker witnessed the white-as-snow uniform of the FEU Nursing students who were shopping. 

This made Paquiz interested in the profession since there were no medical practitioners in his clan. He was grateful to have received a one-hundred-percent free tuition grant because of his achievements as valedictorian.

A nightingale forged in thy happy halls.

Despite the hurdles brought by financial instability, Paquiz was able to shine through and excel at his chosen college program. However, he wanted to extend help and attend to the concerns brought by students.

In his junior years, Paquiz became the vice president of the Institute of Nursing Student Council (INSC) and proceeded to become the president the following year.

Paquiz cited this experience as valuable to his future career. Being the only Leadership awardee in his batch, he claimed that it helped him develop his managerial and decision-making skills. 

Aside from being a student leader, Paquiz was also a former Literary Editor of The Lamp, the institute’s official publication, and a member of the FEU Theater Guild.

Driven by his once far-fetched dreams, Paquiz went on to become one of the most outstanding students of his time.

Taking a big leap of faith

In 1998, Paquiz briefly became a faculty member at the University, helping student nurses to develop their skills as medical practitioners. He was mainly involved in conceptualizing community projects along with their implementation.

“We never tell them [students] what’s the problem… we ask them to identify the problem and let them work with that,” he recalled.  

Shortly after, he worked at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City. Eleven months later, he was promoted to deputy manager, a lucrative position for his age and experience.

Bringing Filipino pride overseas

In 1997, “I was one of the lucky 17 [to be deployed to the United Kingdom], and out of that lucky 17, I was the only one who wanted to work in the cancer unit because most of them wanted to be in the medical-surgical [unit],” he revealed.

Now working as a ward manager at Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, Paquiz is the first Filipino nurse to receive the Florence Nightingale medal in 2018. Coincidentally, he works at the hospital where Nightingale established her first nursing school in 1859. 

The award is given to those who live up to the values and standards of modern nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale. The luminary remains to be the inspiration of nurses all around the world, including Paquiz.

“Human touch cannot be substituted with human machinery. Be a human being that touches the human soul. You cannot fake a genuine heart. You cannot fake real kindness because,” he said.

Paquiz attended the annual Alumni Homecoming held last December 3, 2022.