Caring for patients, defending her country: APP completes paratrooper training in Army Reserves

Monument Health Caregivers frequently exceed expectations while performing the day-to-day responsibilities of their job, and many take their commitment to going above and beyond to their passions outside of work. Raquel Ramirez Rovira, CNP, has had the experience of literally going above in her life outside of work. To be specific, she recently completed paratrooper training with her new unit in the Army Reserves.

“I transferred into a new unit which is an airborne unit. When I became part of that unit, I got orders to get the training,” Raquel said. “Now I’m trained to be one of those soldiers you think of from World War II, the ones jumping out of planes into a war zone.”

Raquel has been in the Army Reserves for 12 years, and though she hasn’t been deployed on a combat mission, she has spent time in Malaysia as part of her service, and is proud of completing her training at the United States Army Airborne School — often referred to as Jump School — at Fort Moore.

Raquel’s job in the military doesn’t involve planes or parachuting, it’s psychological operations. None of which relates to her role at Monument Health either. When she’s not serving her country or jumping out of planes, Raquel is a Certified Nurse Practitioner at Monument Health Rapid City Hospital in the adult intensive care unit. Here, she works 14 hour shifts, often overnight, and typically she has a long span of shifts before getting a few days off.

“I can easily work six or more days in a row because of my training in the Army,” Raquel said. “Staying awake overnight is also something I’ve been trained and conditioned to do.”

Working in the ICU, Raquel also makes use of another skill she’s picked up in the Army; staying calm in stressful situations.

“The Army trained me how to handle stressful situations, making decisions while staying calm under pressure,” she said. “This absolutely helps me in the ICU. We often have high-stress situations and need to remain calm and in control.”

Rachel is one of many Monument Health Caregivers who serves in the military or who is a military veteran. As a great place to work, Monument Health supports and thanks our many veterans and their families for their sacrifice and dedication to serving others.