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Vernon “V.J.” Hachaba (’18) was working on the medical-surgical floor at Children’s Minnesota when he was nominated for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

Hachaba was caring for a 17-year-old, who had the cognitive ability of a 6-year-old. The patient was born with rare birth defects leading to a compromised immune system and neurological disorders. The patient had difficulty managing his emotions, which led to violent outbursts like hitting and throwing objects. Strangers, crowds, and noises were major triggers for him.

After puberty caused his defective organs to begin deteriorating, the patient went through six surgeries, was stricken with sepsis, and spent four months in the hospital. By the time the patient and his family met Hachaba, they were weary from the steady stream of specialists, pediatricians, and surgeons.

With Hachaba, though, they noticed a difference right away.

“He chose to become involved with our grandson,” wrote the patient’s family in the DAISY Award nomination. “Not by standing back at a distance or shielded by aids, but in the forefront with soft gentle touch and words of caring.”

They were impressed by how, even though Hachaba had only recently begun working in nursing, he had the perspective and compassion of someone who had been working in the nursing field for years.

“Vernon got to know our grandson and established a close friend-to-friend and trusting relationship,” they wrote. “Vernon knew him as a person: his ideas; his hopes; and his medical, physical, and emotional conditions. Vernon made a positive difference in our grandson’s life: showing him that he was important, caring how he was feeling, and knowing what he wanted to talk about.”

Hachaba received the DAISY Award in June 2022 for providing “patients and families with excellence in clinical care and compassion.” Administering extraordinary care and compassion is an everyday occurrence for Hachaba, who continues serving as a pediatric nurse in the limited stay unit administering medical and pre/post surgical care—anything from preparing a child for an appendectomy to weaning patients off continuous albuterol and oxygen for an asthma exacerbation.

In challenging moments, Hachaba relies on God who has prepared him to be where he is. “Every morning as I drive to work, I pray for my patients. I don’t know who I’m going to care for when I walk into the hospital, but God knows.”

He is grateful for the Christian nursing education he received at Dordt, where he learned about providing critical care for the physical needs of patients and more.

“In nursing you are caring for the whole person, which includes their spiritual, mental, emotional, and social needs. When I took nursing classes at Dordt, I remember thinking, ‘Wow, I get to be part of something big by serving in the nursing field. I get to make a difference in the lives of those I work with.’”

It can be overwhelming to provide care for people, he adds .“There are times when my work feels too big. It is in those moments that I lean on my faith in God and in His ability to care for His creation.”

At Dordt, Hachaba saw that his faith in Christ was part of every aspect of his life. “This was true not only in the classroom but on the soccer field. I became close friends with my teammates as we challenged one another to grow in our faith while also enjoying playing soccer. Faith was interwoven into my entire college experience.”

Soccer, like his faith, is a mainstay in Hachaba’s life. “Growing up in Zambia, we played soccer all the time. We would play in the street and use our shoes as the goal markers,” he says. “When I moved to Minneapolis, I played soccer for my local high school and club teams. It was an outlet where I was able to meet friends and stay fit.”

These days, he coaches a youth girls soccer team. “Not only is it important for me to give back to the community, but it also gives me a different perspective on nursing. The children I work with at the hospital are very sick, so it’s motivating for me to see the kids I coach running around and acting like normal kids should. It helps me remember that this is where kids belong, not in a hospital.”

Nursing is a tough profession, which is part of the reason why Hachaba sees it as important for Christians to serve in those difficult spaces.

“I think we of all people in the world are most equipped to serve because we have faith in Christ. Having the Holy Spirit in us and the power of God working through us, we can step into those hard and dark places and shine the light of Christ. That’s what I’ve had to rely on in my six years of nursing.”

When nursing drains him, Hachaba reaches for his Bible. “I go to the Word, which strengthens me and sends me back into the mission field again. I know that the work I’m doing is not only to help patients and their families; it is also for the glory of God.”

His patients and their families, like the one who nominated Hachaba for the DAISY Award, can tell he cares deeply for them and for the Lord.

“Vernon personifies the best health care model, genuine compassion for individuals, meeting each patient where they are with what they need to feel valuable and loved,” wrote Hachaba’s DAISY Award nominator. “Humanity is fragile; children are sad and suffering. Vernon is serving with his amazing personality and gift of tireless loving compassion. Vernon shared he is inspired by his faith and following the model of Jesus. He said he starts each shift reciting 1 Peter 4:11: ‘Whoever serves must serve with the strength God supplies, so that in every way God receives glory through Jesus Christ.’”