Family First: Meet 3 Nurse Sisters Working On the Same Unit

According to the AACN, nearly 90% of nurses in the United States are women, making it an overwhelmingly female-dominated profession. The long hours and high-stress environment often create deep bonds among colleagues, forming a unique camaraderie. 

But for three nurses working in Louisville, CO, that bond goes beyond the workplace—it started at birth.

A Family of Nurses

For sisters Renee Bubach, Renel Anderson, and Rachelle Collins, nursing isn’t just a job—it’s a family affair. In an interview with 9News, Bubach said, “When you’re nurses, your friends are your coworkers.” In their case, their coworkers are their sisters.

Bubach and Anderson are twins, while Collins is the youngest of six siblings. Their journey together began in North Dakota, but when the older sisters moved to Colorado, Collins followed. She started working as a busser at the Village Inn at just 13 years old, developing the strong work ethic that would later guide her into nursing.

A Case of Mistaken Identity

Working on the same hospital floor has its challenges—especially when patients confuse them for one another.

“Renee mostly works night shifts, so we don’t always work at the same time,” Anderson explained. “But there’s still a lot of overlap, and patients get confused. They’ll say, ‘I thought you were going home? Why are you still here?’”

The mix-ups remind the sisters of their time waitressing together in Silverthorne at the Village Inn.

“She’d go in the kitchen to grab something, and I’d come out instead,” Anderson recalled. “People would say, ‘Where’s my iced tea? Where’s my pancakes?’”

Finding Their Way to Nursing

Despite their strong bond, the sisters didn’t immediately jump into nursing. Bubach and Anderson first worked as teachers before moving to Colorado to become waitresses in the mountains. Anderson first pursued nursing and encouraged her sisters to join her.

“Renee became a nurse and told us we should become nurses,” Bubach said. “And we both said, ‘Okay.’” Collins chimed in with a laugh, “Because she’s the boss.”

Each sister entered nursing at a different stage of life. “I became a nurse at the ripe old age of 50,” Anderson said.

Eventually, all three found themselves working together on the medical-surgical unit at AdventHealth Avista in Louisville.

A Lifetime of Support

Through the decades, the sisters have cared not only for patients but also for each other. Their shared experience has made the hospital feel like home for themselves and their patients.

“We love working together. All three of us,” Bubach said.

But does it ever get to be too much? Collins playfully raised her hand, prompting laughter from her sisters. Despite the long shifts and occasional sibling squabbles, they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I think this is where we are, and this is where we’ll stay,” Anderson said. 

🤔Nurses, what do you think of this story? Share your comments below!