Sisters Cynthia Balderrama and Gabriela Balderrama-Rocha are the epitome of teamwork.

The sisters are 8 years apart and have been working together since 2018. As CNAs, they’ve been an inseparable team for nearly two years.

Cynthia and Gabriela joined Recruitment Alley in November of 2020, and have been a prime example of efficiency and teamwork ever since. Even our facilities know that the sisters come as a pair—if they want one, they know they need the other.

The sisters’ strong sense of teamwork and willingness to go the extra mile has earned them both the title of Recruitment Alley’s Healthcare Rockstar of the Month for May 2021.

The two are so in sync that they tend to finish each other’s sentences. A glance from one, and the other knows exactly what to say or do. This dynamic carries over both at home and at work.

“Same thing,” said Gabriela.

“It’s the same thing,” said Cynthia.

“She knows what to do,” said Gabriela. “I call or text her to come help me with a resident, she comes right away. She knows. I’m lifting up the bed, she’s getting the clothes ready. She doesn’t even need me to tell her what to do.”

There’s no secret to the sisters working so well together, just an unexplainable sense of teamwork. The sisters treat each other as equals, never bossing each other around.  They both know that working together is more efficient than working alone.

Despite their similarities, the two had very different experiences during the height of the COVID pandemic.

“At first it was scary, because we live with our parents, and she has kids,” said Cynthia. “But when I got COVID, I was asymptomatic—I didn’t even know I had COVID.”

“I was sick for 21 days,” said Gabriela. “It was all the symptoms of COVID. I thought I was going to die, it was bad.”

For the sisters, the worst of the pandemic has passed. Now that they’ve both experienced the virus itself and have spent ample time working with COVID patients, their fears have eased.

So, what’s the best part of working with your sister?

“That you have somebody to be there with you. Help. Anything, ”said Cynthia.

“She buys me food,” said Gabriela. Cynthia looks at Gabriela in disbelief, then the two share a laugh.

“The worst part is that they tend to give us more residents because we work with one another,” said Cynthia. “We tend to help each other, that’s why they think they should give us more residents.”

Despite the heavier workload, the two still enjoy working together in Skilled Nursing Facilities. They both want to continue working in SNF, even once they have their LVN licenses.

They agree that there’s a benefit to working as a CNA before going for their LVN—the valuable experience. Going step by step ensures that they’re able to learn the process thoroughly.

Their time with Recruitment Alley has been nothing short of amazing. At first, the two were drawn in by the pay, but after working with our team they quickly realized that the experience at Recruitment Alley was nothing like what they’ve experienced before.

“Everything. Amazing. The staff. Everything,” said Gabriela. “It just makes you want to go to work every day. Everything behind the Recruitment Alley staff is amazing.”

“Even the bosses here and everything,” said Cynthia.

The advice that the sisters give to new CNAs is to always be motivated to do the best you can.

“The residents sometimes don’t have families, the CNAs are all they have,” said Gabriela. “Every little thing counts.”

“Technically you’re their family,” said Cynthia. “You’re there to help, so just be there, do your best.”