Nothing gets you inspired quite like a corporate ladder success story. When you work a 9-5 job like most of us do, it’s hard not to think about climbing up that ladder of success.
Most people dream it, while others do it. This woman here is part of that second group.
Meet Jaines Andrades, a custodian turned nurse with one incredible story.
Andrades has worked in Springfield’s Baystate Medical for over a decade, but she wasn’t always a healthcare worker there. She began as a janitor.
Sanitation is arguably one of the most important parts of public health. You could say Andrades was working at the first line of defense before moving up the ranks.
“It’s tough to be the person that cleans. If I had to go back and do it again, I would. It’s so worth it.” she said
On many days, Andrades would be cleaning operating rooms in the hospital.
I wonder if she ever anticipated that she’d be working in one of those rooms a decade later.
After 4 years of working as a custodian, Andrades earned her nursing degree.
That opened up way more doors. In fact, it opened on very specific door that she had her eye on for a while.
But she’d still have to wait for a while. Despite nabbing a nursing degree, there were no positions open yet at Baystate Medical.
So even with a nursing degree in her hands, Andrades continued working as a janitor there for a couple more years.
She knew this establishment very well and knew she wanted to stay close to it.
“I stayed, actually, in environmental, despite being a nurse because I didn’t immediately get a nursing job at Baystate, so I wanted to keep my foot in the door.”
She didn’t mind when she had to continue her sanitation job for a little bit more. As long as it was helping someone in some way, she was happy to do it. Plus, she really likes staying in Baystate Medical.
Andrades studied to become a certified nursing practitioner. Then finally, the opportunity came. A job offer from Baystate Medical.
Then, on September 28th, Andrades shared a photo of her accomplishment. Three different IDs She was now a healthcare worker at Baystate Medical.
One showed her as a humble janitor, then the second as a registered nurse, and finally the third one showing her as a nurse practitioner and trauma surgeon.
Talk about starting from the bottom, huh?
Her start as a janitor opened up her eyes to how much we take them for granted. Now that she’s a healthcare worker, she gets to speak on behalf of both doctors and environmental workers.
She talked about the importance of looking past status or class and seeing each other as people. “Your academic success or your professional success, obviously, it deserves praise and you should be proud of that, but it doesn’t make you a better person.”
Andrades says that despite getting to wear the coat and the ID, she still thinks she’s that girl who used to clean 10 years ago.
There’s more than one takeaway here and all of them are great. Hard work and a dream can get you to places you used to dream of, for one.
And more importantly, treat everyone with the same kindness regardless of their job or status. Your status and position don’t determine your worth as a person. Andrades knows that better than most people.
If you liked reading this article, then please give it a share too!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
