Ron Aharoni graduated from the academic reserve track for qualified nursing professionals in September 2023. She planned on returning to military service on October 8, 2023 and start a CPR course for nurses (a course preparing nursing professionals to transition from academic studies to the military system). When the war broke out, the course was cancelled.

Ron received her nursing licensure grade on Sunday, October 8, 2023 at 4:00 pm and immediately reported to her military assignment, serving as a nurse at Ram-2 (the military medical coordination unit that treats hospitalized soldiers) at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center.
She began her military service as a certified military nurse with much courage and desire to help without the critical familiarity with the army, its systems and its procedures.
Ron entered the Ram-2 headquarters as the second-in-command responsible for Hadassah Ein Kerem, Hadassah Mount Scopus, Shaare Zedek, Eitanim, Kfar Shaul and Herzog hospitals.

The first several days were completely chaotic. Approximately 60 wounded soldiers were assigned to Ram-2 unit in Hadassah Ein Kerem alone. She was responsible for their treatment and did so as a new nurse on the job. On top of the professional adjustment to this new reality in Israel, Ron and her team had to cope with recurring sirens, concern for friends and family and the absolute uncertainty in this tragic situation.

As a nurse on Ram-2, Ron made rounds in the various departments in Hadassah Ein Kerem and reached the soldiers hospitalized there. Her job introduced her to very difficult stories. She describes how sometimes the stories of the soldiers overlap. For example, one soldier told her that he saved a friend’s life and kept inquiring about his wellbeing. Ron knew that his friend was in a different department fighting for his life.

Little by little, Ron applied the skills she learned when studying for her degree and used them to establish trust with the soldiers and their families, helping the parents of wounded soldiers and the wounded themselves, hearing their needs and requests.

Ron learned how to significantly support soldiers in this war from within the medical system, how to speak with the medical staff members in the various departments in their own language – the medical language that they would understand, and apply her knowledge based on a defined and known rationale. This is what makes RAM-2 nurses great.

This is an inspiring story about a young nurse who quickly learned how to make a significant impact during wartime.