Mary Joan Therese Valera
UP College of Nursing, Philippines.
Biography
Mary Joan Therese Valera is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Communications degree in the University of the Philippines Open University. She has a master’s degree in public health in 2007, with specialty in Health Promotion and Education, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1991 from the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM). Her nursing career started in 1992, when she worked as staff nurse in the adult medical-surgical ward of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). In 1996, she was invited by the UPM College of Nursing (UPM-CN), and joined their roster of faculty that same year in June. In May, 1997, she had a seizure while undergoing teacher’s training, and was diagnosed to have low grade brain tumor. After five brain surgeries that left her with right-sided motor deficits, she went back to PGH as research assistant in the Adult Health Section of Medical Research Unit, and the National Poison Management and Control Center from December, 1999 to April, 2003. Prof Valera enrolled at UPM College of Public Health in June, 2003, and at the same time rejoined the UPM-CN faculty and is still currently teaching there.