LOS ANGELES (Jan. 24, 2023) — Behind the contagious smile of orthopedic nurse Paulina Andujo lies not only a compassionate caregiver but also a unique talent.
“Besides, I’m a DJ; it’s my creative outlet,” said Andujo. “It’s my therapy.”
Growing up in Sunray, Texas, a rural town with a current population of less than 2,000, Andujo learned the meaning of community and developed a knack for caring for others.
“I was always the caretaker, I was always the one who took care of my brother and sister if they got hurt,” Andujo said. “When my brother broke his arm, I was his personal nurse. I was 6 years old.”
After graduating from high school, Andujo received her nursing degree from Texas Woman’s University. She would eventually move to Los Angeles to become a nurse and also enroll in DJ school.
As the joint surgery clinical manager for the Joint Replacement Program, Andujo interacts with patients virtually and in person to educate them before and after undergoing any type of joint replacement surgery.
“We help build a relationship with patients from the moment they walk in the door, and we want them to know they have someone they can contact when they get home,” Andujo says. “I think it helps alleviate their anxiety because they know that if they have a question, they can call us and we’ll be there to help them.”
While Andujo had always had an ear for music and a desire to become a DJ, it was a skill she picked up years after becoming a nurse.
“I didn’t know anything about DJing; I just knew that I liked it,” he said. “I started learning to DJ the moment I walked in and fell in love. It’s something I practice all the time.”
Affectionately known as DJ Pau Pau, Andujo says she finds a connection with others and with herself through music.
“Music moves people and it’s something that can connect us, even if you don’t understand the language or the lyrics,” says Andujo. “I really liked connecting with the music and then using it to communicate with others.”
For Andujo, learning to DJ served as a therapy and meditation tool during the COVID-19 pandemic, the one time she has felt helpless as a nurse.
“It definitely got me through the pandemic,” he said. “It’s where I would go to get out of my head and de-stress.”
Being a DJ didn’t just help Andujo. Her talent helped other California nurses when she participated in a live Zoom party with a performance for nurses.
“Everyone was having a good time dancing,” Andujo said. “It was a way for us to reconnect in a way we hadn’t in a long time because of the pandemic, and it was a lot of fun.”
Through it all, Andujo is grateful for the opportunity to do what brings her so much joy, helping people and playing music.
“I don’t know what I would be if I wasn’t a nurse. This is what I’m supposed to do.”
And although her passion for DJing began as an adult, Andujo is an example that with enthusiasm, anything is possible.
“We are always going to struggle at first when we are learning something new, so, as my dad says, you have to work hard and have fun doing it.”
Read more at Cedars-Sinai Blog: What is your experience as a Latino doctor?
