Irsa Quinones, RN, BSN
Irsa Quinones, RN, BSN, began working in the Department of Equipment Transport at The Mount Sinai Hospital in 2006. She was thrilled to be working in a health care setting, influenced partly by two aunts who were nurses and by her passion for taking care of people. Several years later, she decided she would apply to nursing school.
There were major challenges ahead. For one, she was a single mother of a young son and could not afford to work less than full time.
Irsa also faced another challenge—she has lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease. “I was impacted by lupus throughout my nursing journey, and it could have stopped me from continuing my education, but I was determined. I kept pushing toward my goal, no matter how much I had to endure.”
Irsa graduated in May 2023, and is now a nurse at The Mount Sinai Hospital Spine Center. She says the difficult road has been well worth any hardships. “I am so very happy to finally be a nurse at the hospital where I started my career in health care. I want to be there for patients, especially those going through hard times. I understand health challenges acutely. There is just not enough compassion in the world, and I want to be that compassionate and caring nurse.”
Camille Hamilton, BSN, RN, Nurse Manager at the Spine Center, adds, “Although Irsa is still fairly new to my team, she appears dedicated to being an excellent nurse. She communicates well with her peers, health care team, patients, and family members, and takes pride in her work.”
Christopher Palamara, System Director, Patient and Equipment Transport, Mount Sinai Health System, worked with Irsa for almost 10 years and is not surprised she has made her dream come true. “Irsa is empathetic, patient-centered, hard-working, compassionate, innovative, creative, and a leader among her peers,” he says. “She is one of the best staff members I have ever had the privilege to lead, and I could not be prouder of her incredible growth.”