May 5, 2021
Esmeralda Estrada, RN
I moved to the United States from Zacatecas, Mexico when I was 17. My family worked in the fields to harvest crops near Grand Forks, North Dakota where there are lots of potato farms. In 2000, I moved to Long Prairie with my family and I have been here since. When I first came here, I worked as an interpreter, helping Hispanic women with translations during their health care appointments. By helping translate for others, I found I was interested in health care and the medical field, so I went to school and received my nursing license in 2007.
I love working here as a nurse – it gives me energy. I like the environment, my coworkers and my patients. We get to help people and it’s not like anything else. One day you might help bring a baby into the world, and another day you’re helping a patient who is at the end of their life. And we need to be able to connect with our patients in both of those situations. I try to identify what the patient or family needs and if I’m unsure, I ask them: “How can I help you? What can I do to make this better?” I always try to put myself in their shoes and think, if it was me, how would I want this handled?
I loved reading your story Esme. We’ve worked together for quite a few years now and I see your compassion and excitement for nursing in everything you do. Thank you for everything you do for our patients and co-workers!
I enjoyed reading your story. Thank you. I agree that “putting myself in their shoes” is so important when helping people and trying to understand, at least a little bit, what a patient or their loved one might be going through. I’m sure your empathy has helped many people. Keep on doing amazing work!