After 20 years working in the restaurant business in California, Rosa Avila was at a career crossroads.
“I thought something is not right working here,” admits Avila, now 59. “Maybe I need to find something more.”
Across the street from her eatery, a hospital. She’d often stare at the building, wishing to one day become a caregiver.
“My dream always was to be a CNA (certified nursing assistant),” Avila says.
While she didn’t steer her life towards nursing immediately, she did apply at Good Samaritan Society – St. Vincent’s in Bismarck, North Dakota. Ten years ago, she made a big move to rural America to begin serving in long-term care.
“I started in the kitchen. I’ll never forget when somebody told me, you know something, you can do your CNA here. I said, ‘really?’” Avila recalls. She signed up for the program.
‘My mom was in good hands with Rosa’
With the new title of CNA, Avila started touching lives right away. Her efforts quickly stood out in memory care.
“Oh, she was the best caregiver you could have ever asked for,” says Marlene Malchert. “She was good to my husband. She made the days easier here. It was quite a change from living at home.”
Malchert’s husband Skip had dementia. Avila’s smile and hugs made a big difference.
“My family got to know her really well,” Malchert says.
You’ll hear similar praise from Patricia French.
“She was so patient and so understanding with my mom,” French says. “I was just very impressed, and it made me feel a lot better that my mom was in good hands with Rosa.
“She has a gift to understand people when they suffer from dementia and can’t get their words out.”
‘Truly a mentor’
The gift didn’t come easy. In fact, after two years Avila thought she needed to quit.
“I thought that I’m not going to make it. It was very hard for me the first two years,” Avila says.
With some encouragement, Avila stuck it out, and administrator Kaylene Kitelinger is grateful she did.
Kitelinger remembers Avila saying, “I take care of the residents like I would take care of my parents. Some of them cannot speak and tell me what they need. So, I watch and see what they need.”
This compassion spreads to her teammates too. Over the past year, Avila has trained 17 of the 36 newly hired CNAs at the location.
“She grew them into some of the best CNAs on our floor,” says Kitelinger. “Some of those are the young 16-17-year-olds in high school. She’s teaching them the compassion that we want in the Good Samaritan Society.
“She says come, come with me. Follow me and we’ll do it together. That is what truly a mentor is with the Good Samaritan Society.”
National Ever Forward Caregiver Champion
Because of Avila’s hard work, she’s being recognized as the National Ever Forward Caregiver Champion.
“I’m still in shock. I can’t believe it,” Avila says thinking of the day she was surprised with the honor.
“The first thing that I said is, thank you God. Because I’m doing this for you.”
Avila adds, “you give me the opportunity because you know that I have it in my heart that I want to be a CNA for a long time. Thank you for the beautiful gift that you give to me. God gave it to me, the opportunity to serve people.”
An opportunity, a dream everyone around her is glad she crossed off her list.
“If the world had more people like her, it would be a better place,” French says.
In addition to winning the Ever Forward award, Avila became a grandmother for the first time this spring.
Learn more
- Caregiver champion breaks into song after surprise honor
- CNA earns national award for 30-plus years of caregiving
- CNA, mom of 4 goes back to school with help from work
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Posted In Awards & Recognition, People & Culture, Sanford Stories, Senior Services
