When Racquel Ballinger thinks about what inspired her to become a nurse, the answer is clear: her mother, Charito Deocaris Hermosura, RN, BSN, CHN. Long before Racquel stepped into her current role as a director of nursing, she watched her mother live out the profession. For Charito, nursing was a calling that carried her across countries, cultures, and extraordinary challenges.
Charito became a nurse in the Philippines in her early twenties. Soon after, she began teaching while continuing to work in the hospital. Racquel remembers seeing her mother leave home in her crisp white uniform and nursing cap, moving seamlessly between caring for patients and educating future nurses.
Like many nurses from the Philippines, Charito eventually made the difficult decision to leave home to provide a better future for her family. She was recruited to work in Saudi Arabia, where she spent five years as a nurse while raising four young children from afar. During that time, Racquel and her siblings lived with their maternal grandfather while their mother worked overseas, returning home for only one month each year.
The sacrifices were immense. Charito had to learn a new language, adapt to a different culture, and navigate gender dynamics that often placed women at a disadvantage. Yet she persevered. “She endured more than most,” Racquel recalls. “But she was determined to care for her patients.”
After years of waiting, Charito and her family were finally able to immigrate to the United States. But the challenges didn’t end there. Despite her nursing degree and international experience, her credentials were not immediately recognized. To support her family, she worked night shifts as a certified nursing assistant while studying for licensure exams. Though she didn’t pass on her first attempt, she tried again. Racquel remembers accompanying her mother to the in-person NCLEX, waiting all day in support, with her father and siblings.
Her family had one car, few belongings, and were starting over from scratch. What they did have was Charito’s determination and her belief in education, strength, and service.
That belief shaped her children’s futures. All four of Charito’s children followed her into nursing, carving their own paths in urgent care, wound care, trauma case management, and nursing leadership. “She taught us that nurses have the power not only to heal, but to educate, advocate, and lead. Why wouldn’t we want to follow in her footsteps?”
Today, Charito is retired, having also navigated serious health challenges of her own, including a liver transplant, kidney transplant, and quadruple bypass surgery. During her recovery, her children used their clinical knowledge to support every part of her care. It was a full-circle moment, one that underscores the legacy she built.
Charito Deocaris Hermosura’s story demonstrates how The Power of Nurses™ ripples through generations. She didn’t just raise four children. She raised four nurses who carry forward the perseverance, passion, and compassion they learned from her.
How has a nurse impacted your life? Share your story at ThePowerOfNurses.org.