Nina Maresca
Growing up in a family full of nurses, Nina Maresca had no plans to become one herself. As a fresh- man in college, she became ill and spent time in the hospital, where “I was able to see firsthand what nurses do. It was the nurses who took care of me, answered all of my questions, checked on me, and made me feel cared for,” she tells GO. Once she was well enough, Maresca returned to college as a nursing major. After graduating in 2006, she began her career as a bedside nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). After earning her Masters of Science in Nursing, she worked as a nurse practitioner in MSK’s intensive care unit before transitioning to the post-anesthesia care unit, which has been her passion ever since. “Providing excellent patient care has always been the most rewarding aspect of what I do,” she says. Maresca graduated with her Doctorate in Nursing Practice in 2016 and five years later, was promoted to Advanced Practice Provider Manager, a leadership role that involves overseeing the nurse practitioners and physician assistants for three of MSK’s post-anesthesia care units. Though her roles have evolved over the years, she continues to advocate for her patients to ensure they get the best care possible. Her new role in management, she says, “allows me to impact the journey of hundreds more patients.” She also serves on the LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Network at MSK, which builds connections among and amplifies the voices of LGBTQ+ colleagues. Outside of work, Maresca is a wife and mother to a 3-year-old daughter and 20-month-old son. –LC
