Edna Gutierrez
National Hispanic Heritage Month: Spotlight on StoneSprings Hospital Center's director of surgical services.
In recognition of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we are featuring Edna Gutierrez, BSN, RN, CNOR, who is the director of surgical services at StoneSprings Hospital Center, as well as the chair of the Hispanic/Latinx Colleague Network. As a young girl born in a small town known as Ciudad Juarez on the border of Mexico near El Paso, Texas, Edna always had her eye on the American dream. At the age of 15, she and her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where she finished high school and decided to pursue a career in nursing.
Her first nursing job in a hospital was at St. Joe’s Hospital in Phoenix where she trained with world-renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Spetzler clipping aneurysms. "This is when my life changed and I realized the impact I had as a nurse in people’s lives,” Gutierrez said. “I believe that nursing is a lifestyle in which you touch so many lives with the intention of making a positive impact. It’s rewarding to see that caring for someone in their most difficult times brings them peace and comfort."
Edna is proud of her Hispanic heritage and said there is a rich history of immigrants bringing their cultures and traditions to the United States. “There is an achievement all immigrants work toward for obtaining the American Dream,” she said. “For many, it’s the material gains of hard work and sacrifice that are desired, but for me, it’s being appreciative for the opportunities I have been given and to show what I have to offer.
“I am thankful to work for a company such as HCA Healthcare and StoneSprings Hospital that appreciate my dedication and hard work. As a nurse, we might not remember all of our patients in a life span, but the patient will always remember the one nurse who made them feel important and safe,” she said.
The Hispanic/Latinx Colleague Network strives to unite the Hispanic and Latinx colleagues at HCA Healthcare to increase cultural awareness and opportunities for recruitment, advancement, and professional development. Follwo the link if you are interested in joining the Hispanic/Latinx Colleague Network.