Friday, May 20, 2016

My Red Cross Volunteer Story: Suzanne Bucci, RN

Suzanne Bucci, RN, OB/Gyn NP, and Red Cross Volunteer, served as a nurse in the US Air Force Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (AIM) Center at Joint Base-Andrews, MD. She is an Army veteran, the wife of a retired Army officer, and the mother of two adult children, one of which has served in the Army. She has been a Red Cross volunteer for the past 15 years. Mrs. Bucci has volunteered in the local communities where she and her husband were located since she separated from the Army. She is an expert nurse with a compassionate heart.

As a devoted wife and mother, she continued to share her nursing talents with the community as a volunteer. While traveling with her husband to foreign countries for his work position, she provided healthcare as an OB/Gyn nurse practitioner with limited resources to women and children in Albania during a critical time in that nation’s history. With the heart of a teacher, she taught Albanian nurses how to care for pregnant women and the children.

When she returned to the United States, she chose to help the “nation’s finest” in the Pentagon. The first day she volunteered was September 11, 2001. She was in the Pentagon during the attack. Before receiving orientation, she provided care to the wounded without knowing where any supplies or equipment was located. Dust and debris contributed to the confusion; but she was focused on providing care. That is the type of person she is, she sees a need and fills that need.

Her work in the AIM Center was carried over from the Pentagon Flight Medicine Clinic where she excelled to provide advanced acupuncture and other alternative modalities to patients. Along with physician acupuncturists, she delivered a unique approach to providing patient treatments that included acupuncture and integrative medicine techniques for a wide variety of conditions, such as chronic pain, smoking cessation, musculoskeletal conditions, mental health conditions, and so much more. This type of care has never been defined for nursing practice. She created a unique niche for nurses in this clinic by learning specific electric modalities and was a perpetual student of the acupuncture art and now has become THE expert in these pain relief techniques. She served professionally as an educator, counselor, and nurse in our high-volume center - always taking a moment for those needing a shoulder to lean on or a hug for support.

She has trained several physicians, Uniformed Services University medical students, nurses, and medical technicians. As a valued volunteer she was asked to teach very specific electric modality techniques at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. They appreciated her teaching style using the hands-on approach. Mrs. Bucci has, without a doubt, influenced the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Mrs. Bucci connects with patients on a personal level helping them understand their medical condition and teaching them how to improve or manage their condition. She makes accommodations for people to come when convenient for their schedule. She has outstanding energy and enthusiasm each day, as she comforted, consoled and cared for the war wounded, tired, and traumatized clients. She truly exemplifies the mission and spirit of the American Red Cross.

Nurses have been vital to the work of the American Red Cross since 1888. Today, more than 15,000 of your fellow nurses are involved in providing disaster services, teaching and developing courses, managing blood drives and other leadership roles throughout our organization. Learn more about how you can get involved with the Red Cross.

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