Nilsa Perez
Nilsa Perez is a dedicated healthcare professional with 33 years of experience in both clinical and administrative healthcare roles, driven by her lifelong purpose of caring for and uplifting others. She began her career on the clinical side working as a Certified Nursing Assistant, Patient Care Technician, and Nurse Tech, holding her clinical license for 19 years while serving in various hospital units, including 8 to 10 years of emergency department care. During her clinical career, she frequently volunteered to care for complex and high-needs patients, including behavioral health, dementia, and medically complex emergency cases, treating every patient with the same compassion and dignity she would extend to her own family. Her experiences as a caregiver for her parents and her sister, who lived with Down syndrome and later battled stage 4 breast cancer, deeply shaped her philosophy of patient-centered care and reinforced her belief that healthcare is rooted in humanity and service.
After being diagnosed with arthritis in her dominant hand, Nilsa transitioned from direct bedside care into healthcare administration, allowing her to continue serving patients while protecting her long-term health. She now serves as a Care Advocate with AdventHealth, where she champions patient well-being through empathy, dignity, and intentional service. In this role, she provides cross-departmental support, strengthens leadership training for patient escalation management, and helps maintain consistent standards focused on patient safety and satisfaction. Throughout her career, she has worked across major Central Florida healthcare systems, including HCA, Orlando Health, and AdventHealth (formerly Florida Hospital), bringing broad operational and clinical insight to her work in improving healthcare delivery and team collaboration.
Nilsa is also deeply committed to personal and professional growth. She has been accepted into an accelerated Master’s program in Healthcare Administration at AdventHealth University, supported by her employer as she continues advancing her leadership expertise. As a woman of faith, she values working within an organization that begins each day with devotional and prayer-based reflection, which reinforces her commitment to compassionate leadership. As a former teen mother and single parent, Nilsa worked multiple jobs to support her family without public assistance or child support, an experience that strengthened her resilience and determination. Now an empty nester, she is focused on continuing her education, staying active in her church community, and serving as an advocate and encouragement to women and survivors of domestic violence while continuing to shape the future of healthcare through faith, leadership, and service.
• Basic Life Support (BLS)
• Certified Nursing Assistant
• University of Phoenix - AA, Healthcare Administration and management
• Church community involvement and small group leadership
• Support for domestic violence survivors
• Advocacy for women's encouragement
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to walking in my purpose and having a heart for caring for people. I truly believe that God put this calling in me, and this is what I'm meant to do. I've always looked at patients as if they were my own family, especially after being a caregiver for my parents and my sister who had Down syndrome and stage 4 breast cancer. That experience taught me to treat everyone with the same care and compassion I would want for my loved ones. I'm very selfless in my approach. I'll clean a homeless person that comes into the hospital when others won't, because I do it as if I'm doing it for my own family. I always put myself in their shoes and think, that could be my mom, that could be someone I love. My faith keeps me grounded and reminds me that even though I may not be making the money I want right now, God has kept a roof over my head and continues to bless me. I know that my major blessing is coming because I'm walking in my purpose. I stay grateful for what I have, and I believe that by serving others with a genuine heart, the doors will continue to open for me.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received came from several mentors along the way. One nurse named Danae was a very influential part of pushing me and letting me know it was never too late to start school. That encouragement meant everything to me, especially as someone who became a teen mom and spent so many years just focused on raising my children and working multiple jobs. Pastor Michael Lay, who is part of the faculty at Advent Health University, also played a big role by recommending me to apply for the accelerated master's program. And my dear friend and dean, who recently passed away, was a major part of making me push through during the lonely times when I felt like life was staggering. She helped me keep going even when I moved into student housing and didn't know what life was going to be like as an empty nester. All of these people reminded me that it's never too late to pursue your dreams and that I should keep pushing forward no matter what challenges come my way.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering healthcare is to make sure you have a true heart and passion for it. You cannot do this work for anything other than passion. I've seen so many people in healthcare over the years, and I think to myself, why are you even here? Because they don't have the heart for it. This field requires you to be selfless and to genuinely care about people. You have to be willing to put yourself in your patients' shoes and remember that we could always be in their position at some point, or know somebody close to us who is. It's also important to be transparent and honest, both in your work and in your personal life. If you mess up, own it. We're all human, and we all make mistakes. Don't try to sweep things under the rug or avoid taking responsibility. Tell the truth, even if it's hard, because integrity matters. I learned growing up in New York that you just have to tell the truth, because lies will always catch up with you. And finally, don't give up on your education or your dreams, no matter how old you are or what challenges you face. It's never too late to start school or pursue the next level in your career. I'm proof of that.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are transparency and honesty. I think if I mess up or do something wrong, I'm going to own it. We're just going to fix it and move on from it. I've learned throughout my years that you just have to tell the truth, because lies will catch up with you. That's something I learned growing up in New York and something I've always taught my children. I'd rather you tell me the truth and I get upset, than you lie to me and I get angry. In healthcare especially, I think it's critical that people take ownership for their patients and be transparent about their mistakes. If you mess up with a patient, it's okay, but we have to fix it. We can't leave the patient or the record in a bad state. I will never be that friend or coworker who lies to cover my butt. If someone asks me if I said something, I'm going to be honest. If I was wrong, I'll apologize and explain. If I wasn't wrong, I'll explain why I said it. We're all human, so we all make mistakes sometimes. It's nothing to own up and say, hey, I made a mistake, I learned my lesson, and I'll do better next time. Having integrity and being honest is key to everything I do.