TAMPA, Fla. — Nurses are being honored for their hard work and dedication as part of National Nurses Week. Here in the Tampa Bay area, there are some incredible nurses who’ve been hard at work on the front lines, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.
In just a few minutes of talking to Joseph Galluppo, it’s easy to see his passion for nursing.
“I was born in St. Joe’s, I work for St. Joe’s, and I’ll probably retire from St. Joe’s,” Galluppo said. “I’ve just embraced it. I’ve loved it from day one when I first started working there.”
Galluppo works at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa and has been a nurse for about 30 years. He started working at the hospital in 1987 as an X-Ray transporter.
“I just started moving up the ranks as a Certified Nursing Assistant, an LPN, and then a Registered Nurse,” he said.
He currently works as a medical ICU nurse.
During the pandemic, healthcare workers worked tirelessly on the front lines, and Galluppo shared his experience.
“It was very stressful, let me tell you,” Galluppo said. “I think my one first year of the COVID pandemic, I probably saw more people die than my 34 years of being there.”
He said it took a big toll on a lot of the staff. Still, Galluppo explained why nursing is a worthwhile career, saying he can’t imagine doing anything else.
“It’s a great job that’s never going to go out," he said. "It’s good job security, it pays well, and just knowing that the fact that you get to make a difference every day in taking care of someone. It’s why I do it, why I love it."
National Nurses Week runs from May 6 to May 12.
