Putting Patients First
Rivera said she is careful to follow protocols, but she also tries to put herself in the patient’s shoes. How would she feel if she was in a hospital, along and not feeling well?
“A little conversation helps people feel like they’re not just another patient to poke,” Rivera said. “I see first-hand the pain and the sorrow. I always put myself in their shoes.”
She is sometimes one of the first people a patient will see when they’re admitted to the hospital. Her experience with kids comes in handy at times when people are in stressful situations. She always tries to find something nice to recognize about the person to put them at ease. Maybe it’s their haircut, smile or a picture or card they have sitting out.
“When you make everyone feel welcome, kids respond to that — same with patients.”
Finding Ways to Help At Work and in Life
Rivera, who has lived in Sioux Falls for 25 years, has four kids who she is proud to say are all thriving on their own. Her youngest is attending college at Vanderbilt University, her other kids have careers in health care, IT and accounting.
She is originally from Mexico and first moved to Texas with her family. When she moved to Sioux Falls with her three kids, her sister helped her get established. She had never lived on her own – without parents or a husband.
Over the years, she developed a deep faith in God and has always put others first, whether it was her kids or her patients.
Working as a translator, she once met a family that was new to the country and in need of housing. She couldn’t stop thinking of them all day. When she left work, they were outside and Rivera saw it as a sign. She took them home to help them until they got their footing. They stayed with her for six months and still live in the community today.
“I realized I don’t have to find people to help; God will bring them to me,” Rivera said. “Whoever needs a prayer, whoever needs a hug.”
Heading into Retirement Happy and Fulfilled
In Avera, she found the mission encompasses who she is as a person and her desire to help people. “I think Avera is a place where we all feel welcome,” she said.
Five years from now she hopes to be retired. Until then, she will keep working to improve at her job and add a little light to patients’ days. In retirement, she plans to continue living out the gospel, wherever it might take her.
“I have more than I ever dreamed,” she said. “I just want the glory to go to Jesus Christ.”
