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Islands Hospice serves our patients, our families, and our community with a total commitment to excellence in hospice care.

August Town Hospice Hero

Posted on August 18, 2020

Hospice Hero

Hospice Hero Town
Yukiko Owen
Supportive Care RN
After high school in Japan, Yukiko Owen moved to Seattle for college, then found her way to Hawaii in 1993. When her youngest son entered preschool, she decided to attend nursing school and balanced her studies with caring for her 3 kids.

Islands Hospice Supportive Care RN, Yukiko Owen, grew up on the outskirts of Tokyo in a city called Kodaira. After high school in Japan, she moved to Seattle for college, then found her way to Hawaii in 1993. When her youngest son entered preschool, she decided to attend nursing school and balanced her studies with caring for her 3 kids.

While working her first RN job in a nursing home, Yukiko observed hospice nurses who came by to see their patients. After some consideration, she decided to try out hospice care and joined the Islands Hospice team about 4 years ago. “I truly believe this is one of the best jobs I could ever have in every aspect,” Yukiko expressed.

Yukiko started as a hospice nurse but recently moved to supportive care where she sees patients who are participating in ongoing curative treatments and therapies. Grateful for the support of her team, Yukiko said, “SC is a smaller team with only a few nurses and one CNA, so everyone helps each other on hectic days!”

Thinking back to some of her patients over the years, she remembers providing coordination for a Maui woman who came to Oahu for surgery. This person had many needs for care, such as total parenteral nutrition (TPN), a large abdominal wound and gastronomy tube (GT) for decompression. After the patient was stabilized, Yukiko remembers her saying that she wished she could keep her as her nurse. Luckily, the patient was in good hands and once she got home, she was admitted to our Maui team for supportive care. “I was happy that she was able to return home,” recalled Yukiko.

Working in the medical field can be stressful, but Yukiko has found that working out regularly, practicing piano, and playing with her dog helps her unwind.