Barbara Jones
For the past 50 years, Barbara Jones has been caring for the people in her community as a Registered Nurse and has no plans on stopping anytime soon.
“Helping people is why I went into nursing in the first place,” said Jones, 71, a lifelong resident of Mount Laurel, N.J. who works as a Labor and Delivery Nurse at Virtua Health System – Voorhees. “I knew I wanted to be a nurse since I was a kid. I had a doctor’s bag with a stethoscope and used to nurse my dolls. My mother was big on education and said I needed a career that so I could support myself and not have to rely on others, and nursing was the perfect career choice.”
Jones started her career as a med/surg nurse and worked in the ICU, but ultimately chose labor and delivery because it allowed her more time with patients. “I like working one-on-one interactions I have with the mothers and families and I like the challenges and activity level. There is nothing like the satisfaction of helping to deliver a healthy baby.”
Having delivered more babies than she can count, the positive impact of her interaction and strong bond with patients is clear when Jones gets stopped around town by families she has worked with. “I walked into a restaurant and the owner said, ‘Is your name Barbara?’, and when I said yes, he said ‘you were my wife’s nurse’ and then invited me to come to his son’s graduation party. I went, and the father introduced me as the nurse who was there when his son was born.”
Making a difference in people’s live also extends to her volunteer work. For the past 15 years she has served as Vice President of the Nurses Ministry at the Bethany Baptist Church in Lindenwold, N.J. putting her nursing skills to work to benefit the 20,000 member congregation. The Nurses Ministry has 22 members and is a mix of licensed nurses and individuals that have a desire to help others.
“We recently helped set-up COVID-19 screening and testing for the congregation, and have sponsored the mammogram mobile, health fairs with blood pressure screenings and blood sugar checks and are always on call to assist if someone falls ill at the church,” said Jones. “Nurses are a trusted resource, and it is good to know that we are here to use our skills and help when needed.”
“Barbara’s work is very important to the safety of many of our members. She has assisted children up to seniors in minor and critical medical events,” stated Nicholas Smith the Executive Pastor at Bethany Baptist Church. “It’s good to have hospital workers on the team and Barbara is a great model for service who inspires others through her humbleness and work ethic. Barbara’s willingness to go above and beyond is commendable and her work ethic is a model for new volunteers as well as her expertise in the nursing field.”
Jones’ desire to help others is also evident in her role as local president of JNESO at Virtua in Voorhees, N.J., where she represents some 1,300 nurses, and has been instrumental in efforts to ensure the health and safety of nurses during the pandemic.
“Unions help nurses have a voice, not only in their contracts and the terms and conditions of employment, but as to how they are being treated. When I started nursing 50 years ago it was not like it is today. I have seen the changes and the more corporate nursing becomes the more important it is for us to have a union like JNESO to protect our nurses, voice their concerns, and promote positive change,” said Jones.
In 2020, Jones was recognized for her efforts by the Southern New Jersey Central Labor Council as the recipient of the George E. Norcross, Jr. Humanitarian Award.
“I like to be useful, and I am blessed to be able to use my nursing skills to make a difference in the lives of others,” added Jones.