JNESO

When it came time to choose a career path, nursing was a given for Marita Medina. “Being a nurse is kind of a Philippine tradition,” said Medina a second-generation nurse.  Her mother came to the U.S. in the 1960s as part a nursing exchange program with the Philippines and worked as a nurse at Passaic General – known today as St. Mary’s General Hospital – where Medina now works.

 “I grew up in this hospital and in these buildings. I was a candy-striper first, I worked in dietary in high school, I was a nurse’s aide, and then I went to nursing school and became a nurse here,” said Medina who has been a nurse for 36 years – at the same hospital. “I really love my job, I like taking care of people, and every day I feel like I am accomplishing a goal.”

 Medina currently works in the Same Day Surgery unit at St. Mary’s. “I see the patients, help them through the surgery, and give them the physical and emotional support they need after the surgery. It feels good when I can help them feel less nervous or scared and fill in the gaps to help them understand what will be happening.” 

She noted, “Our survey’s (patient satisfaction) are always good, and we are often the ‘nicest unit in the hospital’, all the nurses are very conscientious and caring and very supportive of the patients.”

One thing she misses is the deep connection she formed with her patients when she worked in the Oncology unit, which is no longer in operation. “Surgery is great, but patients are in and out pretty quickly,” she explained. “In Oncology, I really got to know the patients and their families over time, and they really touched my heart. Being able to help them through their struggles and what they were going through, and assist them along their journey made me feel like I was making a difference.”

In addition to caring for her patients, Medina is also committed to helping her fellow nurses and serves as an active member and a former Vice President of the JNESO District Council 1 health care union local at St. Mary’s. Interestingly enough, her mother helped unionize the hospital decades ago.

 Medina said that having JNESO’s support has made a real difference for her fellow nurses and for her personally.   “Being involved has made me more verbal and more knowledgeable. You have to know your rights so you can’t be taken advantage of and keep yourself and your patients safe.” She explained, “JNESO helps with staffing, compensation, and if there is a work issue they are there to back you up.”

Unions have been in the news a lot over the past few years and according to Medina that is a very good thing: “Nurses are big part of the workforce and that needs to be recognized. We are part of the American Dream, we are there to provide care to people in our communities, but our needs are important too.” She added, “That is what JNESO does for us.”

When she isn’t at work helping others, Medina said she loves going to Yankee games and taking family trips to Florida.  She is married and has a daughter pursuing a master’s degree in psychology – not nursing, to which she remarked, “It’s ok that she didn’t go into nursing, having mother, grandmother is enough.” 

Her advice for young nurses: Furthering your education and getting advanced degrees is admirable, but to really learn how to be nurse and work well with patients they need to spend more time at the bedside, that is where the real caring begins.