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The Oregon Caregiver
Spring/Summer 2017
www.ohca.com24
PROFILE
Cordelia Agum
Regional Director of Clinical Operations, EmpRes Health Care
LEADER
Cordelia Agum began her career in
long term care as a CNA in a skilled
nursing facility. After finishing
nursing school, she worked in
several facilities in Oregon and is
now the regional director of clinical
operations at EmpRes. A Nigerian
native, Cordelia says that her
culture has a big influence on her
love for long term care.
How did you begin your
career in long term care?
I have always had a great
interest in geriatrics. In my opinion,
long term care is the best place to
practice that. I started my nursing
career as a CNA, and then when I
was in nursing school, I spent every
spring break working in a skilled
facility. I guess you could say that
is what sparked my interest in long
term care. From nursing school, I went
further to be certified in gerontology. I
started as a charge nurse, then became
a resident care manager. From there I
became a director of nursing then onto
regional director of clinical operations. I
just love nursing. I love what I do, and I
love helping people.
Tell us a little bit about your
background.
I am originally from Nigeria.
Despite having an interest in health
care, I actually briefly pursued a career
in corporate America, receiving my
bachelor's degree in accounting and
master's in public administration from
Portland State University. I finally
followed my calling of being in the health
field. My passion in nursing stems from
my Nigerian culture and upbringing. In
my culture, the elderly are held in high
reverence and are cared for. Children
actually fight over who gets to take care
of their parents when they are older.
It is a great honor. It's something that
has influenced my nursing career in the
sense that, to me, my residents are more
than just the ailments they are currently
suffering from. There's a unique life story
behind each resident, and I don't take
that for granted. I also really like making
someone’s day. Some of our residents,
they don’t have anyone close by to care
for them, so the caregivers are their
family, and that is really special.
Are there any unique challenges
you’ve faced as a nurse or in long term
care in general?
How I see it, no matter what the
profession is, there will always be
challenges to face. With that said, it just
pushes me to learn and grow from it
and to work harder. The challenges I've
faced as a nurse have always left me more
determined than ever to succeed. I avoid
being consumed by roadblocks. I dust
myself off, give thanks to God for the
learning opportunity, and move forward.
After a roadblock, I always believe the
best is to come. You just have to keep
your eyes on the prize. Never straying
from your dreams.
What are some of the biggest
challenges you think long term care
providers or nurses will face in the
future?
Long term care providers and
nurses are already experiencing a
very significant challenge and that is
maintaining our interpersonal skills
while providing care. With all the
technology advancements in this field, we