Esmeralda Cortez works as a nurse at RUSH Hospital, where she has been employed for 9 years. She completed her education at Morton College and has been in the field of nursing since 2013. Esmeralda loves her job because she enjoys providing care and support to her community.
Q: What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
A: Being part of an interdisciplinary team and healing patients in their most vulnerable time. Seeing a patient fully recover from a diagnosis and knowing you were part of their journey brings so much joy to a nurse.
Q: What advice would you give to someone considering a career in nursing?
A: Have a strong support system (family and/or friends). Nursing school is the hardest thing you will ever go through, but it’s worth every minute. A professor during nursing orientation told us to have a plan B lined up in case nursing school didn’t work out. I only had a plan A, and that made me push myself even harder to make my dream come true as a nurse.
Q: What skills do you think are most important for a nurse to have aside from medical knowledge?
A: There are many. To list a few: empathy, compassion, communication, respect, and teamwork. Empathy truly is the heart of nursing.
Q: How do you stay up to date with medical knowledge and best practices?
A: Every state requires you to have a number of continuing education hours (upon renewal of your license) in order to stay up to date with the latest changing practices. Illinois requires 20 hours every 2 years. This can include reading nursing journals or attending conferences and/or webinars.
Q: What has been your most challenging patient care experience?
A: I would say there can be many different kinds of challenges with every patient. From the very anxious patient preparing for their first surgery, to the patient who comes in with alcohol withdrawal symptoms and then seizes, to tagging and bagging a deceased patient who passed away on your shift. This is what makes the job interesting—you really don’t know what kind of day you are going to have. Showing up to work with a positive mindset conquers all.
Q: How do you manage the long hours and physical demands of the job?
A: Coffee. LOTS of coffee. With time, your body adjusts to the long 12-hour shifts.
I try to work out 3-4 times a week to release endorphins.
Q: How do you handle the emotional challenges that come with being a nurse?
A: Keeping my faith and God in the forefront of it all.
Q: How do you start and end your day to stay energized and manage stress?
A: I turn up the radio on my way to work; it gives me a natural boost of energy. Then, I listen to meditation music while driving back home as a way to unwind and release stress.
Q: How should I prepare for nursing school if I’m already working?
A: Quit your job before starting the program. Nursing school needs your full-time commitment.
Q: How long have you been a nurse for?
A: I’ve been a nurse for 12 years now, and I absolutely love it!
