Melissa Gaffney has been a nurse since 2012 when she first started working as an LPN. Over the years she worked in several different hospital settings. She had primarily worked at Voorhees Pediatric and Inspira’s Pediatric Emergency Department. Melissa had previously attended Camden County College from 2009 through 2011 in their nursing program, but hoped to one day earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
“As a working mother of three boys, I kept putting it off to go back to school. However, I finally thought I should give it a shot and applied to Rutgers University-Camden in 2021,” Melissa said. “I started in the Fall 2021 semester and immediately felt at home. The staff and faculty at the School of Nursing-Camden made me feel welcome as a non-traditional student.”
Her hard work paid off. Melissa graduated with honors in May 2024 and finally achieved her goal of earning her BSN degree. After graduation she passed the NCLEX exam and accepted a nursing position at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Delaware.
“Dr. Joseph Cipriano and Dr. Brigitte Cypress were especially helpful during my time at Rutgers,” Melissa added. “Both were very supportive and helpful with my academic success. I enjoyed my time in Camden and made some great friends. I especially enjoyed the study abroad trip to Guatemala. Overall, my time at Rutgers-Camden was positive. I learned a lot about not only nursing but also myself. I am tempted to go back to school to earn an MSN degree.”
Melissa resides in Washington Township, New Jersey with her husband T.G and youngest son Drew. Her middle son Bryce was inspired by his mom’s passion for learning. He is currently enrolled at Gwynedd Mercy University in Pennsylvania.
