Introducing, The Nurse Station – a team of nurses who help with your medical needs in your home.
By Sheila Madsen, April 21, 2020
This wonderful new service was launched in October 2019 by nurse Nancy del Carmen Tirado Guiérrez. It was brought to my attention by one of Mazatlan’s most respected doctors, Dr. Jorge Garcia de La Rosa, saying “please tell your readers, Nancy is the best, she’s great, she trustworthy, I highly recommend her.”
When I phoned Nancy she was bubbling over with love and information she couldn’t wait to share. At only 33 years-old Nancy has 11 years experience as a nurse; five years at the Sharp, and currently she’s the Supervisor for all the Nurses at the Marina Hospital. During her three years at the Marina and at the Sharp, she saw many Americans and Canadians being released to their homes with very little in-home care. Doctors recommended Nancy for home visits and post- op care not only because of her skills but because she also spoke English.
Nancy saw a need and launched The Nurse Station. [How she found the time with a family and three children is beyond me.] She has five licensed nurses on her team – some speak English, but for those who do not, she’ll send a male nurse aid to translate. The Nurse Station works with your family doctor; they do not recommend doctors nor do they recommend any medicine or treatment. The nurses stay in constant communication with your doctor.
Typical at-home services would be post-op care, physical therapy, heart monitoring, aspiration, blood pressure -really all the things you would associate with being terribly sick- such as gastroenteritis, dengue, chikungunya, the flu from hell, or having just been released from the hospital. The Nurse Station, if you are well enough, will even take you shopping, or shop for you. If you are house bound and have dental problems Nancy will send a dentist to assess you. If it’s serious, The Nurse Station will transport you to a sterilized office and perform any dental work that is required.
Because I am writing this during the time of Covid-19 I asked Nancy about The Nurse Station protocols. It goes likes this: you phone 669 174 3148, and say you think you may have the coronavirus. A nurse arrives in full protective gear, please remember they do not have any test kits. If the nurse suspects you have Covid-19 she reports it to the Secretary of Health – who will then come to your home, take a sample and you will have the result in three to four days. The Nurse Station will co-ordinate with your family doctor and the decision to hospitalize you or to stay at home will be decided by the doctor. If it’s stay at home then The Nurse Station will be by your bedside the entire time, if needed.
We can’t thank our doctors, our health care workers, our nurses, the people who deliver food etc. to us enough – they risk their lives every day to save ours. Thank you Nurse Station from the bottom of our hearts.
Prices updated Feb.2023.[Nurse Station, call 669 174 3148, Nancy does say “call me 24/7”. A house call, depending on the situation can be as little as $500 pesos – but you get a lot for that, not just a quick visit, it’s a thorough assessment – if you’ve fallen, for instance. If you require 24 care, it’s $100 + pesos per hour [ for 12 hours care it’s $1500, for 24 hours it’s $2,400] but that includes all medical supplies – bandages, diapers, heart monitor, aspirator, IV etc. If you need food, the Nurse Station will make breakfast, lunch and dinner for another $400 pesos, that includes the food! The Nurse Station also has hospital beds, wheelchairs, and other essential medical supplies for rent. How did the young Mazataleca Nancy learn to speak English? Her father was a waiter at the Holiday Inn and met many Canadians and Americans – he saw the importance of English and saved money to send Nancy to school to learn English. Nancy’s husband is a dentist and a lawyer and a biology teacher at UAS. What a family!]