Her Story
About Joan
Joan Romero, DNP, RN, CENP, CCRN is an executive nursing leader whose journey reflects resilience, determination, and a lifelong commitment to advancing healthcare. She immigrated from the Philippines in 2001, arriving in Aventura, Florida, with limited resources and early discouragement from others who believed her background and financial circumstances would prevent her success. Instead of accepting those limitations, she pursued her calling in nursing and began building her career from the ground up, driven by perseverance, purpose, and an unwavering belief in opportunity through hard work and education.
She began her clinical career in cardiothoracic intensive care and steadily advanced through progressive leadership roles across major health systems. Her experience includes nearly a decade with Kaiser Permanente, followed by six years as an Associate Nursing Director at Cedars-Sinai, where she led high-acuity critical care operations. She later served as Nursing Director at Keck Medicine of USC, overseeing seven specialty ICU units and driving improvements in quality, throughput, and workforce engagement. In her current role as Executive Director of Emergency Department, Trauma, and Critical Care Services at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, she provides enterprise-level leadership for more than 600 FTEs, with accountability for clinical quality, nursing practice, financial performance, and operational excellence across complex, high-acuity service lines, including oversight of the ECMO program.
Throughout her career, Joan has remained focused on building strong teams, developing future leaders, and creating systems that support both patients and caregivers at the highest level. Her leadership is grounded in mentorship, accountability, and a deep commitment to equity and excellence in care delivery. She has successfully mentored numerous nursing leaders who have advanced into director-level roles and continues to invest in developing talent at every stage of the professional journey. Looking ahead, her goal is to serve as a Chief Nursing Officer, where she can shape nursing strategy at the executive and board level while continuing to elevate the profession and expand opportunities for the next generation of nurse leaders.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Joan
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to knowing my true self and believing in myself despite all the noise from others. When I came from the Philippines as an immigrant from a poor family, people told me I would never make it, that I would just stay there because I couldn't afford education. Depression wasn't even a thing in the Philippines - you just had to struggle through. But I told myself to continue, that the struggle would be gone, and that I just had to know my true self and achieve my goals. I believed I would make it to America one day. All the noise I heard from others, even when they bullied me, became part of my growth and made me the best I can be, not just as a leader but as a person. I also had to overcome my cultural upbringing where we were taught to be humble and not express our accomplishments out loud, to let others say it instead. But I realized that in the United States, you have to sell yourself and tell people what you've accomplished. Even though it's still hard for me because it's ingrained in my culture, I've learned to be courageous and speak up, to get out of my shell and assert myself even when I'm the only Asian in executive leadership meetings. Self-awareness is key - knowing who you are and what pushes your buttons, and being courageous when you speak up.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
One of the things I can tell them is to really know where their heart is and what their goal is in their career, because that is going to lead you to your true north. Ask yourself what you want and why you want to be a leader, why you want to be where you are. That insight will help you realize where you really want to accomplish and get things going. I want to share my experiences with people who are struggling, like an immigrant myself. There were times when I honestly felt like, will I ever get there? Because I'm an immigrant, I'm a woman, and in my culture we don't express the things we do or the hard work we do behind the scenes. We're really shy about saying that because we were raised to be humble and not say our accomplishments out loud, but just let others say it. But I realized that in the United States and in any organization I've been through, you have to almost always sell yourself and tell them the things you've accomplished. I still find that hard because it's ingrained in my culture to not lift yourself up. Sometimes I wondered if I would ever get there because of who I am, but what I'm going to tell others is to just keep on achieving your goals and do the things you need to do in order to accomplish that. Don't be deterred by people who say you will not be able to make it.
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