“What I value most about nursing is the flexibility of the profession: the essential thing is in the care and we will always find people who need our attention, from areas that we often don't imagine,” said Specialist Mercedes Llavallol, member of the Japanese Takeda Laboratory.

Mercedes graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Nursing from the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences in 2010 and, after working for a time as a home nurse, she joined the Mater Dei Sanatorium, in the area of ​​Oncology, Intermediate Therapy and Palliative Care. “I went one day to drop off my resume and they asked if I could stay for a few minutes for an interview. I knew that being from Austral University was a plus and that gave me confidence. After three days, they gave me the pre-employment medical exam and the following week I was working.” Mercedes recalled.

Throughout those eleven and a half years at the sanatorium, she also served as a shift supervisor, combining management tasks with clinical work, and studied the Specialization in Oncological Nursing at the Universidad Austral, which provided him with the knowledge to provide comprehensive and specialized care to cancer patients.

In 2021, she received an offer to join a patient support program at Takeda, Japan's largest pharmaceutical company, with a global presence in over 80 countries. Motivated by the desire to explore new horizons in her profession, she accepted the challenge of joining this industry. “It was a moment in which I valued and learned about our ability as nurses to reinvent ourselves within the profession.”"The graduate recounted enthusiastically."

From her department, she develops programs to improve the quality of life for patients receiving treatment with medication produced by Takeda, a company focused on research and development of therapies for rare diseases. “Access to medication isn't always easy, as it requires approval from the health insurance provider and, sometimes, travel to receive treatment,” Mercedes explained.

Her team consists of a doctor, a psychologist, a biologist, and eight nurses. Together, they run patient support programs for various conditions, such as teaching self-administering medication when possible. She also works on implementing different diagnostic tools.

Mercedes affirms that the University prepared her to work in the clinical area, but also to perform all kinds of tasks within the profession. In her work in the laboratory, she applied resources she acquired during her studies, which provided her with the foundation to work in her new role. “It was very gratifying to see that I could continue practicing my vocation in other areas, especially that I could do it while still having a family. Thanks to the flexibility of our profession, I continue working in an area that is exclusively for the benefit of the patient, focusing on achieving good adherence to their treatment and a better quality of life.”