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Celebrating SLV Health Nurses Week 2020 - Jessica Garcia

Jessica Garcia, RN, BSN, works as an Infection Preventionist at SLV Health and is one of the many nurses being celebrated from Nov. 1 through Nov. 7.

    San Luis Valley Health is celebrating and thanking their nurses from Nov. 1 through Nov. 8. Nurses’ Week is traditionally held in May, but due to so many changes with COVID, the celebration was delayed. What a perfect time, now in the month of giving thanks, that nurses are celebrated. A special thank you goes out to SLV Health’s team of Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), Nurse Practitioners (NPs or aka Advance Practice Registered Nurse), and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs).

It Will Challenge You on Every Level

     Jessica Garcia, RN, BSN, an Infection Preventionist in the Quality and Safety Department, didn’t initially plan on being a nurse.

     “My first major was supposed to be in Athletic Training, but then life had another plan for me,” she explained. “After some time off of school and a lot of thought, I decided to go into nursing because I felt that would offer me some job security. However, I really feel like it was me being guided to where I was actually supposed to go in the first place. I cannot imagine doing anything else, and I feel like nursing has come pretty naturally.”

     What she loves the most about nursing is being able to directly improve the lives of the patients she cares for.

     “Now that I have moved away from the bedside, I see all of the behind-the-scenes work that has to happen to bring it all together, and that is truly a collaborative effort of so many,” Garcia said. “Nursing offers so many different specialty choices, so if you ever get bored or burnt out, there’s always a chance to ‘change up the scenery.’”

     Working in the Quality and Safety Department has allowed Garcia to learn things about issues she never realized needed a nurse’s eye.

     “Who would have ever guessed that a nurse’s input was needed on construction projects?” she said. “I love that I am able to have a bird’s eye view of things from a nursing standpoint, and help push for improvement in so many areas throughout our organization.”

     She also loves how much she has been able to do community outreach work in this role.

     “It is amazing to be able to touch the wellness of the community as a whole.”

     For those considering nursing, she had some words of advice.

    “Nursing is not for the faint of heart, and it will challenge you on every level,” she said. “You will work your brain and your back, but you are also challenged emotionally, spiritually, and will really put life into perspective. Not only will you grow professionally, but as a person overall.”