Senate honors nurse who began career at 14

A woman described as one of the moving forces in the development of the Department of Public Health and who began her career in nursing at the age of 14 has received recognition some 18 years after retirement.

The Senate presented on Monday a resolution honoring Ana Ayuyu Sablan, who retired as a registered nurse in December 1993, for her contributions to the CNMI nursing and healthcare industry since she began as a nurse aide at the Rota Dispensary in 1951.

Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) said it’s fitting to bestow Sablan a resolution as the CNMI celebrates Nurses Week from June 12 to 18.

Sablan’s family and friends were also in the Senate chamber for the resolution presentation.

“Thank you very much everybody,” Sablan said as she received a framed copy of Senate Resolution 17-53 from Senate floor leader Pete Reyes (R-Saipan) and other senators during a session.

The resolution, authored by Manglona, says the Senate will be forever grateful to Sablan “for her dedication and commitment to healthcare in the CNMI.”

Sablan, now 58, relocated from Rota to Saipan in June 1952 to continue working as a nurse aide at the Chalan Kanoa Dispensary. She was promoted to senior nurse aide under the Naval Administration Unit on Navy Hill. Four years later, she was promoted to graduate nurse at the Dr. Torres Hospital.

In 1981, Sablan was appointed acting chief nurse at the Dr. Torres Hospital. A year later, she attended Sonoma State University in California where she studied surgical nursing under a fellowship of the United Nations’ World Health Organization. She went on to complete other nursing and medical courses.

The Commonwealth Board of Nurse Examiners certified her as a registered nurse on Dec. 1, 1985.

Throughout her nursing career, hospital administrators, physicians, and other experts in the medical field gave her high marks for her skills and work attitude.

“Mrs. Sablan was described as the moving force in the development of the Department of Public Health by Dr. Jose T. Villagomez, director of the Department of Public Health and Environmental Services, on December 19, 1989. Mrs. Sablan has been an integral part of the Commonwealth Health Center, the Department of Public Health, and the overall improvement of healthcare in the CNMI,” Senate Resolution 17-53 reads.

Last week, the Senate also honored Crisencia Maratita Songao Burch for her 26 years of service as a nurse, a career which started when she was only 13.