By John Hayden
As a young boy, Henry Aneyro wanted to be a superhero when he grew up. He succeeded.
“A good nurse is a superhero,” he told OutClique. “I have had the privilege of helping my patients at their most vulnerable time, and I have also had the honor of helping them heal and helping their families feel at ease. Like superheroes, nurses build trust, make people feel safe and protected and comfortable.”
As a nurse with Memorial Healthcare System, Aneyro’s brought attention, care, and comfort to thousands of patients. He’s also brought another important quality: LGBTQIA+ representation. In a place where co-workers must quickly work in concert and patients can be in unfamiliar and often scary situations, seeing yourself represented is important.
Memorial Healthcare System has long had a commitment to diversity in the workplace, and Aneyro is a shining example of their successful policies. He became a nurse in 2003. It would have been earlier, but anachronistic gender stereotypes held him back. “None of them looked like me. I am a tall, gay, Latino man, and nurses were supposed to be women. At the time, I chose not to rock the boat and became a laboratory technician. This way, I was still in the medical field and could help people, but I didn’t feel uncomfortable because of my gender.”
As a first generation American with a Cuban father and Spanish mother living in New Jersey, he was worried about coming out. Even though he had a live-in partner, Aneyro didn’t tell his dad. The couple moved to Florida in the 1990s. He joined Memorial Healthcare System in 2000, and soon they let him keep his full-time benefits while he went to nursing school, an act that earned his gratitude and loyalty.
Family First
Male nurses are common these days, and Aneyro says Memorial Healthcare System’s positivity makes it a great place to work and be a patient. “At Memorial, our staff represents the community we serve, we come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and orientations. It is important that people have open hearts and minds and accept people for who they are and what they can do.”
Aneyro doesn’t just take care of his patients, he takes care of their families. The ones that spend hours worrying by the bedside or in lobbies. Their concerns are as big as the ones being treated. “It’s about the little things that help the families trust you. I speak with the family member and I ask them if they are ok, how their day is going. I also ask about the patient, if they have questions, and I explain to them my plan of action with their loved one.” He knows in this job, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The little things are what can make a big difference. “When I was in ICU, I walked around with a basket, lovingly known as ‘Henry’s froufrou basket,’ filled with nice shampoos and lotions, so I could bathe my patients and help them feel relaxed and fancy, even if they were in the hospital. The families truly appreciated the extra effort, because I was treating their loved one like my own family.”
The Next Generation
These days, Nurse Henry has his own health issues and isn’t a bedside nurse anymore. Despite having a primarily administrative role he is still making invaluable contributions to patient care. Now he hopes to pass on his knowledge and empathy to the up-and-coming nurses. “I’d love to teach tomorrow’s nurses. I want to help nurses be excellent. To be excellent they must show compassion.”
And by teaching, Aneyro will keep Memorial Healthcare System’s rich diversity going for years to come. “I want to teach an entire generation of nurses from all backgrounds, all walks of life, all preferences that they can make a difference in the lives of their patients and their families.”
