JNESO

“Have Courage and Be Kind,” is the famous credo of Disney Princess Cinderella, but it can also be applied to how nurse Judi Iannuzzi, a huge Disney fan, also chooses to live her life.

Iannuzzi first showed that courage when she was only 3 years old, and her father was diagnosed with Lymphoma.  “I remember that my mom, after his surgery, had to help bandage the wounds, and I would be right there with her, handing her the gauze and  the tape and things like that, doing whatever I could to help,” she said.  “It made a huge impression on me.”

But, it wasn’t until she went to college that she made the decision to pursue a career in health care.  “I knew I wanted to do something to help people. I thought about being a dietician, but at my community college the only program that had anything relevant to dietary was nursing program.” She added, “Pursuing nursing really made sense,” and marked the start of her journey.

Calling herself a “perpetual student” Iannuzzi went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a Master’s degree in Nursing Education (MSN) and she is board Certified in Med-Surg Nursing.  She is also in the process of completing an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate, all while actively working as a nurse and raising a family. “I really like to pile it on,” laughed Iannuzzi who has been a nurse for 13 years.  

Being a nurse today is not easy, but Iannuzzi tries to infuse caring and kindness into every day.  “There are tough days, but I try to make every patient interaction very personal and make a lasting impression.  Making their day, making them smile and making them comforted fulfills my goals as a nurse.”

Iannuzzi, who works in the Endoscopy Unit at Virtua Health – Marlton, noted that a recent experience really drove that meaning home.

“I was assisting with an Esophageal Manometry, where they study the esophagus by putting a metal probe down through your nose.  This woman had so many diagnoses and she wanted to have this test done so badly, because she knew it would help fix her hernia. It is a 30-45 minute procedure, but she pushed through and we did it together.”  She added, “I looked at her and said, ‘do you realize how strong you are,’ and you could see the tears well up in her eyes, she was so thankful.  And, I was like, this is why I do this every day.”

Her drive to do what needs to be done to help others has also guided Iannuzzi to become an active member of JNESO, the professional health care union, that represents nurses at Virtua. 

“The amount of protection the union has for nursing staff is undeniable and amazingly supportive,” she explained.  “Working with JNESO Stewards and members I feel empowered and much stronger as a person because I know they support the nursing staff 100 percent, and they will go out of their way to talk to you, reassure you, and do what needs to be done.”

She enjoyed working with JNESO members to negotiate their latest contract and decided to kick it up a notch and become a Shop Steward.  “I am the person everyone tells what is going on, and now, I will have the ways and means to get answers to questions and to make things better for our nurses.”

Iannuzzi traces her work ethic back to her mother. “My mom has been a big influence on my life. Seeing her as a single mother, being independent and being able to care for me and raise me – on a school bus driver’s salary –I don’t know how she did it.  Even if I didn’t get everything I wanted, she gave me everything I needed.”  She added, “She inspired me to make sure that I could be independent to, for myself and for my children, which why I became a nurse.”

Outside of work, Iannuzzi is just as busy spending quality time with her husband and two children in Cinnaminson, and training for 5K and 10K races.  “I love hanging out with my kids, coloring, exploring the outdoors – right now we are growing caterpillars into butterflies, and of course I love all things Disney…I will have been there four times in two years when I go back this November!”

She has completed two Spartan Runs, which include tricky obstacle courses, and the Disney Princess 5K in February, and will run a 10K at Disney in November, not bad for someone who only started running – or as she puts it “mid-paced jogging” a few years ago.

Looking towards the future, Iannuzzi has already set two more goals: “Personally, I want to do a 10K in under an hour and a half.  Professionally, once I complete my Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate, I want work more with interventional pulmonology – which is very interesting and up and coming field that uses robotic technology to treat patients with lung issues.”

Her advice for young nurses: charting is important but make the patients your priority. “Focus on the patients, make sure you have that face-to-face interaction with them, and really be there at the bedside with them.”