45 Minutes with Rebecca Graboso : Nurse Leader from New Jersey

We recently had the chance to connect with one of the leading Pinoy nurse leaders in America to discuss her role with the Philippine Nurses Association's chapter at New Jersey. Just a quick background, Rebecca "Becky" Graboso is a neurology/neurosurgery nurse practitioner at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, New Jersey.

She received her Doctorate in Nursing Practice (2011) and her MSN (2005) both from Rutgers University. She obtained her BSN (1980) from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. She iscurrently attending Monmouth University towards an MBA degree (expected to finish on 2017). She was the immediate past Board of Trustee and Chair of the Grants and Research, PNAA America Foundation.

Photo courtesy of Parker Family Health Center


As part of her social responsibility initiative, she has gone back to Eastern Samar, Philippines twice in the last 2 years to implement a research project on maternal and infant mortality.

Becky is a national and international speaker on cardiovascular diseases and health outcomes with a focus on primary and secondary disease prevention.


1. What are you most excited about in your new role as president of PNANJ? If fellow Filipino nurses in your state are interested in getting involved, how can they help? 

The current healthcare paradigm of delivering the best care, in the most efficient and cost- effective manner has shifted the way we deliver care and as nurses, who are at the forefront of healthcare delivery, we have to be relevant to meet these demands. It is my responsibility to ensure that the Filipino- American nurse is educationally prepared and clinically competent in their areas of practice, whether they are in administration, academic, research or at the bedside.  Employers hire and retain the best nurses and PNANJ and PNAA offer networking opportunities, nursing scholarship, excellence awards and educational conferences at the national, regional and state level, and even in the Philippines. It is a great time to be a PNANJ member, we need volunteers, we are very visible in the community participating in health- related events, and also participate in inter- agency and inter- professional collaboration. So we like others to join us in these endeavors.

2. What advice would you offer to new graduates as they enter the workforce? 

Be willing to try anything. As a new graduate, you may need to start at the ground level, then identify your area of interest, and move quickly when the opportunity arise and acquire your expertise. Get out of your comfort zone, go back to school, the perfect time to go back will never come so don't wait too long. And be a member of your specialty organization and your ethnic organization. Lastly, be a team player and always remain professional even at the worst moment (as there will be many challenging times), it will serve you well in the end.