A Mexican-American labor and delivery nurse at Sibley Memorial Hospital pursues her passion with language and culture.
Melissa Flores Barajas has wanted to pursue a nursing career since middle school. Now, she has delivered 500 babies in the past two-and-a-half years.
“I’ve wanted to be a labor and delivery nurse since I was in sixth grade, which I know is crazy but it's true,” the 30-year-old said.
Her drive to excel as a labor and delivery nurse comes from her own heritage. Flores Barajas says there is a lack of Spanish-speaking providers. Latino nurses make up just 6% of the profession, and bilingual nurses may be even fewer.
Hispanic communities tend to have a harder time affording medical education, with only 4% of students in medical school being Latino.
Flores Barajas currently works with 80 nurses. Only one other nurse also is fluent in Spanish, making it hard for Spanish speakers to communicate their medical distress.
Being in the hospital can be a hard time, which is why nurses like Flores Barajas take the extra time to make their patients feel most comfortable. Nurses provide support, assist the patient and offer countless chitchat material to make the patient's experience more comfortable.
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage
“I love stepping into my room and meeting a patient and just vibing with them immediately,” said Flores Barajas.
She says she looks forward to becoming a mom one day and sharing those loving arms with one of her own.
