Being an RN at Roper St. Francis Healthcare runs in the family.

Jennette Albayalde knew in kindergarten that she wanted to be a nurse when her mother came home wearing her nursing cap.

Sure enough, Jennette would go on to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Not only did she become an RN, but she works at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital, the same place as her mother, Nenette Borja.

Both are grateful the other is a part of Roper St. Francis Healthcare, and both use the same word to describe the way they feel about Roper St. Francis: family.

“It’s like a family,” said Nenette, who’s risen through the ranks during her 39-year tenure, from PCT to RN to assistant manager to clinical manager for the hospitalist unit, oncology and med/surg. “You know practically everyone and you say ‘Hi!’ to everyone. You feel like you belong here.”

Nenette moved to Charleston in 1980 and applied to every local hospital. Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital ended up being her first interview, and she hasn’t looked back since.

Her daughter grew up with Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital as part of her family’s life, and she always thought highly of the hospital and its team. Jennette has left Roper St. Francis a few times to broaden her experience, and she said she keeps coming back to Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital because “it’s family.”

“This is your work family,” said Jennette, who’s worked for Roper St. Francis for a total of about 20 years. “You see them as much as your actual family, sometimes a lot more. They’ve got your back, and you support each other.”