Becoming a nurse is not easy, especially when you come from a low-class immigrant family and don’t speak the native language. Having moved to Miami from Cuba when she was only 11 years old, the future was pretty uncertain for Arelys when it came to pursuing a career and an education. After 40 years, she has now established herself as a highly decorated nurse for the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Network, takes part in home health care, works close to 80 hours per week and finds enough time for herself to take lengthy vacations to countries all over the world.
Her Campus (HC): Tell me a bit about what you do as a nurse at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and with your separate home health job.
Arelys Alfonso (AA): I work in the psych ward at the children’s hospital, so I’m around a lot of kids every day who have been through so much and have no hope. I like to try to be the hope for them by providing a kind and comforting environment that the hospital doesn’t. As for home health, I work with a separate hospice company and do home visits on the side.
HC: Have you ever felt overwhelmed with this workload?
AA: No, not really. I love what I do, so it doesn’t feel so much like it’s something I have to do, but more something I enjoy doing.
HC: Okay, now I want to talk about how you got here. How was it when you first came to the United States? Were you scared at all?
AA: Of course, I was scared. All I ever knew was Cuba, but I also understood that for us to have a better life we needed to move. My parents did a good job of acclimating us to the American environment, but my biggest struggle was not knowing English. It took me about five years of school to be able to communicate with others in English, and even now I feel like I still can’t speak fluently.
HC: So how did you decide you wanted to be a nurse?
AA: I always knew I wanted to help people, and nursing school just called to me. I liked the profession and I felt like I could be happy doing it while also making enough money to support myself.
HC: How was the nursing school experience for you?
AA: It was challenging. Everyone knows that academically this is a challenging field, and I also had two other jobs on the side while I was in school, so it was definitely difficult. While I was doing my Bachelor of Science in Nursing, I was already working at the hospital, so I think that was the hardest part.
HC: And how do you feel now? Do you feel financially secure and happy in your profession?
AA: Yes, for sure. With the two jobs I work, I have enough money to be stable, and take at least three vacations per year because traveling is something I love to do. I like being able to go to different countries and just enjoy life and take a break from work. Even though I love what I do, it can be exhausting sometimes, you know. I also put my all into my work—I buy food for my patients and have people I know donate regular clothes for them to wear instead of hospital gowns to make them feel more comfortable.
HC: That’s very sweet of you. I also heard you’ve been rewarded for your hard work a few times.
AA: Yes, I won Nurse of the Year a few years ago in 2018. It felt very good to be recognized for my commitment, even though that isn’t why I do what I do.
HC: I have one last question; if you want people to take away one thing from your story, what would it be?
AA: I would want people to know that you can do anything you put your mind to. Don’t listen to what anyone else says about you along the way, focus on what you want to do, and know that whatever you want to achieve will happen. You just have to work hard and focus on your goals.
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