As part of Nurse’s week, we spoke to Paula Carrera. She is one of our Cath Lab Senior RN Managers at the AdventHealth Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute and has been working as a nurse for over 19 years at AdventHealth. “I love working at AdventHealth because I know that I have people around me that have the same integrity and work ethic as I do. This organization has provided me with leadership and growth opportunities that I didn't even know existed.” As a nurse, Paula cares deeply for her patients. “I get to see people feel better, I get to see them at the lowest of low and be a part of their healing process. I’m able to make an impact in somebody's life everyday.” But it doesn’t stop there, Paula brings the same effort to her relationship with everyone on her floor. “You're making that impact on somebody whether it is a family member, coworker, doctor, or a rep, you touch somebody's life everyday by being a nurse.”
AdventHealth gives employees the opportunity to give back to causes they believe in through the Employee Giving program and Paula has been a generosity champion since 2018.
“My entire health care career has been cardiology and my mother passed away from a stroke, so I have a passion for cardiology and cardiology patients. I want to make sure that I give back so that we can provide whatever advanced technology or services are available to make our patients more comfortable and feel like they have another chance. When my mom passed, we didn't have all the technology that we have today and so knowing how far we've come, I enjoy giving back.”
Paula believes other nurses should get involved with the program to improve the care they are able to provide each day. “When you choose to be a nurse, you get to make an impact on someone's life. I am giving back as a tithe to benefit the medical community and our patients. I want to be able to help make things a little bit better.”
This last year made the stress of her role much more difficult but she was able to power through with the help of her work family. “In health care we were separated from our families a lot. When I came to work, I was with people that were going through the same struggles that I was going through. Emotionally, spiritually, and even financially, we were there to support each other and that was the thing that held me up through all of this.”
Even when things got hard, she remembered what her mentor once taught her. “She always reminded me the positive thing about nursing is that you are never limited, you always have resources, and you always have an adventure to go on.” She also shared some advice for nurses who are struggling through a tough time. “It can feel like the tide is coming in and you may be wiped out. There's another tide coming soon so you must get back up and keep your eye on that horizon. God’s only giving us enough that we can handle and just let the rest float away with the ocean tide.”
Thank you, Nurses. Thank you for the hard work you put in each day to provide life-giving care to patients when they need it most. Start a fundraiser in honor of the care a nurse gave you or a loved one. 100% of donations support a cause most meaningful to you.
