True Purpose

Family inspires Natasha Iacoviello '20 to pursue a nursing career

By Lindsey Honig

Regis Today Fall 2017

Selflessness. Compassion. Adaptability. These are just a few qualities key to succeeding in the nursing profession. Natasha Iacoviello ’20 was drawn to the field for precisely those reasons. Her inspiration? Not a health care provider, but a patient: her dad.

Frank Iacoviello is a cancer survivor five times over. He underwent several treatments before Iacoviello and her two younger sisters were born, and then during their early childhoods. He kept things light for the girls who were too young to fully grasp the seriousness of his condition.

“Dad would tell us to touch his arm where he had a tumor, and would then bark like a dog,” Iacoviello laughs nostalgically. “Growing up, I knew he was sick and I wanted to help, but I didn’t know how.”

Things began to click for Iacoviello in middle school when she completed a career aptitude test. The results showed she possessed the potential to become a nurse.

“After the test, I looked more into the field and related it to what I experienced in my life,” she recalls. “This was the perfect major for me.”

For Iacoviello, choosing Regis was surprisingly easy. The Revere, Massachusetts, native grew up in a “big Italian family.” She sought opportunities that were not too far from home, and those that provided a real sense of community. The esteemed nursing program at Regis sealed the deal.

“I really liked that students start their clinical rotations sophomore year,” Iacoviello says. “I thought that would give me a lot more hands-on experience than if I attended another college that didn’t begin that until junior year.”

“Caring for the dear neighbor without distinction goes perfectly with nursing. You have to administer care with respect, regardless of a patient’s values or culture.”

—Natasha Iacoviello ’20

The university’s prestige was highly appealing to Iacoviello and her family: Regis has repeatedly earned the distinction of a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education from the National League for Nursing—the only program in New England to receive the designation three times.

“In my household, education is very important,” Iacoviello says. Her father dropped out of high school and her mother was unable to complete her college degree. The tenacious duo—one beating cancer and the other stepping in as caregiver—channeled that spirit into their daughter’s future. “My parents know school will set me up in the world and help me go far.”

Regis values, she says, will be the foundation of her career. “Caring for the dear neighbor without distinction goes perfectly with nursing. You have to administer care with respect, regardless of a patient’s values or culture.”

Iacoviello is well on her way to becoming not only a knowledgeable nurse, but also a well-rounded one. During her first year at Regis, she completed the expected health sciences coursework including microbiology and anatomy. Liberal arts classes provided the opportunity to develop skills necessary to the effective practitioner. “My writing courses will be really helpful when it comes to journals and charting, and my introduction to logic class will allow me explain and support my statements to patients and the medical team.”

She is eager to begin clinical rotations in the upcoming spring semester—with a true sense of purpose. “I may not have been able to help my dad in a professional nursing role, but now I will be able to help many others like him.”