Like Mother, Like Son

As a nine-year-old boy, Gabriel Cuellar watched as his mother Mirna Cuellar became an Air Force nurse who was deployed to serve in Afghanistan. He didn’t think much of it then, but as he got older, he realized the impact of his mother’s work.

“My mom gained a lot in the military as a nurse and I also want to be a military nurse to gain the same things: confidence, a chance to go around the world helping people and tell great stories,” he says.

The Cuellars will also be able to tell the story that they graduated from Rhode Island College in the same year. Gabriel is earning his B.S.N. in nursing this year while Mirna is earning an M.S.N. in the adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner program.

“It’s sort of surreal to graduate at the same time,” says Gabriel, 25.

“I’m more excited for my son’s graduation than I am for my own,” says Mirna, 45. “I’m proud of him for making it this far and happy that I have influenced him.”

A native of Bolivia, Mirna grew up in Providence and now lives in Cranston with her husband, Eric; Gabriel; and her 11-year-old daughter, Sarah. She says watching her mother care for others inspired her to pursue nursing.

“It’s humbling and rewarding to be strong for someone in their weakest moments,” she says. “That’s what nurses do.”

Mirna earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Rhode Island in 2007, entered the Air Force in 2009 and was deployed to serve in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2012.

“Afghanistan was a breathtaking experience, trying to grasp being in enemy territory and supporting the soldiers,” she recalls of her time in the 651st Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.

The squadron was tasked with treating and transporting injured soldiers out of Afghanistan. 

She says the mission there emboldened her nursing skills.

“I felt prepared to face any challenge and wasn’t intimidated by taking on any healthcare position,” says Mirna.  

After returning from Afghanistan, she completed her military career in 2015 at the Hanscom Air Force Base in Hanscom, Massachusetts, in the 66th MDS Medical Squadron. Mirna went on to work in the emergency room at Miriam Hospital for a year before landing a position at the Providence VA. She’s worked there as a primary care nurse manager for a decade.

Gabriel, who was a member of the Army ROTC in high school, says his mother has paved the pathway for his future.

“I decided to take a leap of faith with nursing,” he says. “It will be a little nerve-wracking to go into the military, because I don’t know what that will entail. But wherever I go, my goal is to become a better, smarter and more aware nurse.”

He says the rigor of RIC’s nursing program has prepared him.

“The standards in this program are high,” he says. “And they’re high for a good reason: the need for good nurses. If someone is taking care of a person’s life, you want them to be competent and knowledgeable. RIC does a great job of setting the bar high.”

Gabriel says he has transformed from being timid as a freshman to being an assertive clinician today.

“It was hard to step out of my comfort level and push the boundaries of knowing what was right or wrong to do,” he says. “But now I’m 100 percent confident and thankful for those moments of feeling uncomfortable. I know how to take all my skills and apply them when it comes to administering meds and talking therapeutically to patients.”

Mirna says her decision to pursue a master’s degree at RIC was a no-brainer.

“As a Rhode Islander, I was attracted to the convenience and access,” she says. “The curriculum looked wonderful and the online component provided flexibility. For a parent working full time, things can get complicated when you’re trying to raise kids. There were other parents in my courses and we appreciated the flexibility.”

Mirna was led to become an acute care nurse practitioner after noticing a lack of available practitioners during the COVID crisis. 

“I think RIC has prepared me for the high level of care I will be overseeing, independently prescribing and caring for people. The knowledge I’ve gained through clinicals is outstanding. I can put things together now, talk to people about their physical assessments and do the needed documentation. As a nurse, this program is what I wanted and expected.” 

The Cuellars’ advice to prospective nursing students is to focus on being empathetic, passionate and poised about their work.

“As a nurse, you don’t know what’s coming your way and there’s almost no room for error,” Gabriel says. “I always think about what if someone was caring for me, what would I want? Or, after leaving a patient’s room, how could I have done something better? It’s always good to reflect.”

Mirna says she’ll always reflect on the value of the education that RIC has provided for her and her son.

“I’m thankful for the school and the opportunity and hope we’ll make a big impact in health care,” she says. “That’s my dream.”