Alma Selected for September Concerned patient Care Award

Alma Espino, CNA, Skilled Nursing Unit, is the September Concerned Patient Care Award winner. Alma has been nominated once before.

Her nomination reads, "I know that the Skilled Nursing Floor has to be a challenge due to the type of patients and care that is needed. Alma was always so gentle, caring and respectful to my grandfather." The letter goes on to read, "her friendliness and smile always lit up our dim and sad room. My family looked forward to seeing her come in and help Grandpa each day because she does take such care and love in her job."

Alma says that the best part of her job is getting to know the patients. "A lot of the patients seen in Skilled Nursing are in the hospital for a long time. We have the opportunity to do activities and play games with those patients that are able."

Working in Skilled Nursing, Alma sees not only the joys, but also the heart-breaking side of being a care giver. "Some patients are in the hospital for palliative care and or job is to keep them comfortable. We get to know the patient and their families, so losing them is hard."

In Alma's nomination, a family member of one of her patients on Skilled Nursing wrote, "I hope that you can recognize her for the hard work that she does and the kindness she has brought our family and my grandfather, especially in the last days of his life."

Before coming to SWMC in June of 2001, Alma worked as a CNA for Dr. Rick Fitzgerald. "I always wanted to be a nurse," She says, "because during my stays in the hospital i always had good nurses."

Alma married her husband in May of this year and they reside in Hugoton.

She has many plans for the future. She is going to continue her nursing education so that she can become an RN. She also hopes someday to have children.