Gabrielle Dispenza, R.N., BSN, is the assistant nurse manager on the 48-bed neuroscience/stroke unit at Broward Health Medical Center. She began her career in 2020 after graduating from Florida Atlantic University, quickly adapting during the pandemic by mastering respiratory skills and rapid response.

Dispenza’s paternal grandmother was a nurse, and she grew up hearing about how inspirational her work was, primarily with hospice patients. Caring for her maternal grandmother when she fell gravely ill reinforced Dispenza’s calling. “You could feel the difference when the right nurse walked in,” she said. “That presence changes everything.”

Now overseeing more than 80 staff members, she is especially passionate about mentoring new nurses. “I lacked confidence when I started,” she said. “I encourage questions and celebrate their wins.”

She values strong physician relationships and patient-centered care. “There is already so much inherent suffering,” she said. “But so much is preventable. We have more power than we think to shape a patient’s experience.”