In celebration of Nurses Week, we are proud to highlight Andrew Castaneda, RN, a night shift charge nurse on the Medical-Surgical floor at Artesia General Hospital. With more than 12 years of acute care experience and a reputation for steady, patient-centered care, Andrew is the kind of nurse his colleagues count on and his patients remember. Throughout this week, we are honored to share stories like his and recognize the nurses who keep AGH running, shift after shift, through the night and into the morning.
A Foundation Built in Carlsbad
Andrew’s path in nursing began close to home. He started in 2010 as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Landsun Homes in Carlsbad, caring for geriatric and long-term care residents, assisting with daily living, monitoring vitals, and learning the fundamentals of patient dignity and attentive care. It was the kind of foundational experience that shapes a nurse’s instincts long before they ever hold a license.
In 2013, he earned his Associate of Nursing degree, obtained his RN license in New Mexico, and joined the Medical Surgical Pediatric floor at a regional hospital. Over the next several years, he built a broad acute care skill set, caring for neurological, dialysis, swing-bed, and hospice patients, floating to intermediate care and occasionally the ICU, and increasingly taking on the charge nurse role. In 2019, his peers and leadership recognized what patients had known for years: he was awarded Employee of the Year at a regional hospital.
With exceptional bedside manner and a strong clinical skill set, Andrew consistently supports both patients and colleagues, making him an invaluable asset to our Med-Surg team
Stephen Flores, RN,
Assistant Director of Medical-Surgical Services
Choosing AGH
Five years ago, Andrew made a decision that said something. He had options. He had the experience and the reputation to go elsewhere. Andrew chose Artesia General Hospital, and he has stayed.
“I started at AGH five years ago and I’ve had many opportunities to explore other options in my career,” he says. “But because of the way they treat the nurses and the resources they give their patients, I have been happy to stay loyal to this hospital that I’m proud to work at.”
That loyalty is not passive. Andrew works nights, the shifts that demand the most self-reliance, the sharpest clinical instincts, and the steadiest presence. He serves as charge nurse, the person his team turns to when policies need clarifying, when a patient’s status changes, and when a newer nurse needs someone to help them think through what comes next.
The Nurse His Team Relies On
Stephen Flores, RN, Assistant Director of Medical-Surgical Services at AGH, describes Andrew as the kind of colleague every unit needs.
“Andrew Castaneda is an experienced and dependable night shift charge nurse, serving as a trusted resource for policies, procedures, and staff education,” says Flores. “With exceptional bedside manner and a strong clinical skill set, Andrew consistently supports both patients and colleagues, making him an invaluable asset to our Med-Surg team.”
Andrew holds current certifications in BLS, PALS, and ACLS, covering adult, pediatric, and cardiovascular emergencies. He trains newly graduated nurses, contract nurses, and staff transitioning into acute care, bringing the same patience and clarity to teaching that he brings to the bedside.
Why He Does It
Ask Andrew what keeps him in nursing after more than a decade and he gives an answer that is both simple and true.
“Working as a nurse isn’t easy, but it can be fulfilling in a way that few other professions can,” he says. “Helping someone through some of the most stressful and trying times of their life can really provide a sense of purpose that I take pride in.”
That sense of purpose shows up in how he communicates with patients and families, how he manages status changes on the floor, and how he shows up every night ready to be the steadiest person in the room.
Thank You, Andrew
Twelve-plus years of caring for patients at their most vulnerable. Five years of loyal, skilled service to AGH and the communities of southeast New Mexico. Nights spent as the person his team turns to when things get hard. Andrew Castaneda is exactly the kind of nurse this hospital and this community are fortunate to have.
Thank you, Andrew, for your dedication, your steadiness, and for choosing AGH, night after night.
Learn more about inpatient care at Artesia General Hospital.