Isabel Fernandez, RN’s career as a registered nurse spans 36 years. “Bing”, as she is known to her colleagues, earned her nickname from her grandmother Isabel, whose nickname was “Chabing”. As the sister of a priest growing up in the Philippines, Bing always aspired for a career that would involve helping others. Nursing, however, was not her first choice. When asked at age six what she wanted to be when she grew up, Bing replied confidently that she wanted to be a nun. It was a nun, however, who told her that nursing was her “calling”. Indeed, nursing was Bing’s calling.

She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from Colegio de San Augustine/Bacolod Doctors Hospital in the Philippines. The 5-year training program proved extremely challenging. Out of 120 applicants, Bing was one of only 25 to graduate. Her class was the first graduating class from the School of Nursing. Bing moved to the United States in 1976 and began working as a Telemetry Nurse and as an OR Nurse at St. Francis Hospital in Miami Beach. Her supervisors immediately recognized her potential, and after only three weeks at the hospital, she was sent to a specialized training program for eight weeks to train as an ICU Nurse.

In March of 1979, she began her 31 years with HCA at Miami Heart Institute and soon transferred to Aventura Hospital and Medical Center where she currently works in the Intensive Care Unit, bringing joy to patients, family and staff alike.

Ask any of Bing’s colleagues what her best qualities are and they will reply that she is not only a talented nurse, she is also a compassionate and caring friend. Bing brightens up everyone’s day with her warm smile. She always goes the extra mile to make sure that her patients are comfortable and feel appreciated. Even after hours, Bing will call her patients and their families just to see how they are feeling. “Nursing is a noble profession,” Bing says, “You should always put yourself in the position of the patient and the family so that you will know how they feel and how to help care for them.”