A legacy of care
From the time she was a little girl, Maria Alaniz knew she wanted to be a nurse. It seemed to be ”in the blood” as the saying goes; her mom and aunt both spent time working as nurses and she has cousins who work as nurses in the United States and in Mexico. But life happened — as it often does — and it wasn’t until after she had children that she entered nursing school.
“My daughter Bella and her little sister, Krista, were young girls when I went to nursing school,” she said. “It was hard — working, going to school and having kids at home. But it was doable.”
What she didn’t realize at the time was the lasting impact this career change would have on her daughter Bella.
“I have a memory of sitting on my mom’s lap during one of her lectures and my sister sitting on a friend’s lap — that’s about all I remember from that time,” Bella said. “Mostly I remember her working on ortho/spine at PSL [HCA HealthONE Presbyterian St. Luke’s] - a part of HCA HealthONE. As a young kid, I would call the hospital and ask to talk to her during a shift. And in high school, my mom had to work on my prom night so I showed up at the hospital with my date so she could see us. Over the years, I met tons of coworkers –who even came to my 15th birthday party.”
Yet, it wasn’t immediately obvious to Bella that she’d follow so some closely in her mom’s footsteps.
“I guess I always thought about nursing in terms of trauma and accidents. I didn’t realize the different kinds of nurses there were. I always thought, ‘oh I could never do that.’” But after graduating from high school and working a few odd jobs, Bella decided, at Maria’s suggestion, to earn a certified nursing assistant (CNA) license.
“I started really liking the work, helping patients every day. After a few years of that, I applied to nursing school,” Bella said.
Maria said, “She surprised me because she was always a kid who thought things [in healthcare] were gross. But she just loved it, and she was really good at it.”
When it came time for Bella to do her capstone, she wasn’t sure what kind of nursing she wanted to pursue. By this point, Maria was a well-established nurse at HCA HealthONE Presbyterian St. Luke's, a veteran of more than two decades on the ortho/spine unit. So, Bella went with what felt comfortable — applying at the same hospital. And, as fate would have it, she soon was brought on to the same unit as Maria: Bella on the day shift and Maria on the night shift. “It was awesome giving a report to my mom or getting a report from her,” Bella said. And once Bella’s capstone was completed, their manager offered Bella a job. “I really liked the people I was working with, and I felt like it could be a great place for me. If my mom had been there for 20 years, that says something.”
Now almost two years later, Maria and Bella have a solid relationship as colleagues and mom/daughter. Outside of work, they are planning Bella’s upcoming wedding and taking trips to visit her siblings. And when they are at work together, others have come to recognize them as a power team.
For the pair, realizing their shared call to nursing and getting to live it out together has been fulfilling and eye-opening.
Maria said, “Now that she’s older and doesn’t live with me, it’s such a treat to be able to spend a shift with her and share this experience with her.”
Bella agrees. “Working the same job, it just gives us a sort of different connection,” she said. “We have a special sort of appreciation and understanding of what we do. And at the same time, becoming an adult and working in the job that my mom has worked has made me so much more grateful for everything that my mom has ever done.”
Orthopedic specialists in Denver
At HCA HealthONE, we know your life is constantly in motion. Our goal is to keep it that way. Through our integrated healthcare network, we are prepared to treat everything from light sprains and chronic joint pain to complex spinal conditions. Learn more about how we can help you catch the best moments in life.