Women in Healthcare: Teresa Veneziano, MSN, RN, CENP

 

“At Inspira, we are focused on improving the health of our community – that’s our mission. It’s our privilege to care for our loved ones and friends.”

 

Building a Culture Where Nurses Thrive

For Teresa Veneziano, it’s essential that she works within a health system that is a vital hub for the community it serves. 

“At Inspira, we are focused on improving the health of our community – that’s our mission. It’s a privilege to care for our loved ones and friends. It’s personal to us.” 

When she arrived at Inspira Health, she immediately knew the network’s mission and footprint fit that description. “I feel very passionate about the care Inspira provides,” she says. 

Veneziano joined Inspira in January 2023 as Assistant Vice President of Neurosciences. Some 14 months later, she was promoted to Chief Nursing Officer, where she leads more than 1,700 nurses across Inspira’s hospitals and ambulatory care sites. 

She began her nursing career in the late ’80s, working in trauma and neuro ICUs – fast-paced settings where clinical precision and collaboration were essential. “I was the nurse who team members sought out for advisement,” Veneziano says. “I became a charge nurse pretty quickly and realized I loved supporting other nurses.” 

At Inspira, Veneziano is focused on aligning nursing care across the system and creating programs that help nurses not only succeed but grow. That includes refining its 12-month nurse residency program, supporting graduates as they transition from school into professional practice. Under her leadership, the program has achieved accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). 

The residency combines classroom learning, hands-on experience in Inspira’s simulation lab and structured mentoring on clinical floors across the network.

“Our job is to structure their learning in a way that builds confidence and critical thinking,” she says. “They’re learning how to communicate, how to assess and think through complex situations.” 

She’s also helping expand support for nurses after that first year by building a mentoring program designed to guide new nurses through the next stage of their careers. 

“Once that first year ends, they are practicing independently, but they still need guidance,” she says. “That 12 to 18 months after residency is just as important.” 

That emphasis on long-term development is reflected in clinical outcomes. Veneziano points to an initiative for stroke patients in which nurses help patients start moving sooner, sometimes even the day after a stroke. 

“We’ve seen incredible results: decreased length of stay, decreased complications and just better outcomes all around,” Veneziano says. “It’s a great example of nurses working collaboratively within interprofessional teams that work together to improve care.” 

Creating an environment where nurses are empowered to engage in innovation and process improvement aligns with Inspira’s broader commitment to excellence, she says. Inspira’s hospitals in Vineland, Elmer and health center in Bridgeton have long maintained Magnet Recognition from the ANCC. 

“I walked into a wonderful environment that already had Magnet in place,” says Veneziano. “Those 3 facilities have been recognized 4 times, which really speaks to the quality and consistency of nursing care.” 

Mullica Hill currently holds the Pathway to Excellence designation and is beginning the Magnet journey. “Magnet isn’t just a designation,” says Veneziano. It’s a reflection of the culture we’ve built for our nurses, our hospital staff, and for the patients who rely on us.” 

 

1-800-INSPIRA
inspirahealthnetwork.org