I was a cancer patient at Penn Medicine. Now I’m an OR nurse here.

By Chris Naimo, BSN, RN 

In November 2024, Chris Naimo, a U.S. Army veteran, marks his first year as an operating room nurse at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Here, he shares his path to health care. 

I tell people that the year I had cancer was the worst and best year in my life. It was the worst because of everything I had to go through: four surgeries, chemotherapy complications, an unknown infection, and several hospitalizations. It was the best because my life changed for the better in more ways than I can count—spiritually, physically, personally, professionally, and beyond.  

My wife, Caitlin Naimo, DNP, RN, CCRN, an electrophysiology nurse at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), says I have a servant’s heart. Maybe that’s true. Three times in my life so far, I’ve felt drawn into service.  

The first was on 9/11: As a sophomore in high school, I watched the Twin Towers collapse and knew I needed to help support and defend my country. I entered the U.S. Army after graduating and served in two deployments to Iraq. 

The second was after I came home. Still feeling called to serve my country, I pursued a degree in criminal justice with the goal of helping and protecting my fellow Americans through the law. By 2020, I was working as an insurance fraud investigator in the Philadelphia area and applying for jobs at law enforcement agencies. 

That’s when, at the age of 34, I learned I had testicular cancer. My experience as a patient at Penn Medicine made me want to help people in a different way.  

I felt so grateful to the doctors, nurses, and support staff who took care of me and cheered me on, including my wife. They always conveyed the message, “You’re my priority. I want to do everything I can to help you.” Without their care and attention to detail, I believe I wouldn’t be what I am today: a loving husband, a devoted father, and an operating room nurse at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, working every day to return the overwhelming kindnesses that I received. 

The journey from patient to nurse 

There wasn’t one defining moment when I decided to change careers, but rather, a culmination of events. Only a few days into my chemotherapy, I went into acute congestive heart failure. Only a week later, I developed blood clots in both lungs, followed by a large surgery to remove the lymph nodes in my abdomen.   

After that, I felt like I should know more about what was happening to me—not only to have a better understanding of my health but to be able to help others in similar situations. I had the desire to help other patients get through tough times, since I understood what the tough times felt like. Like a noncommissioned officer in the Army—which I had been—nurses, to me, were the backbone of health care: the front line. That’s where I wanted to be. 

Once I recovered, we started looking into nursing programs that would be a good fit for someone like me: a second-degree student who was also working full-time.   

A few years later, I began my job as an operating room nurse at PPMC.  

Empathy and connection 

Before I became a nurse, my wife would constantly tell me that once I got into nursing, I would have a greater connection with patients because I had been in their shoes. Now, I can say that’s true. When I’m with patients, I think back to similar situations that I was in. What did I wish I would have been told before going into surgery, or moving out of the operating room? I can share little tricks that helped me. Like, after abdominal surgery, when you cough or sneeze, grab a pillow and hug it—that will help relieve the pain. Or, before you leave, make sure you get an abdominal binder, a wide compression belt that goes around your stomach. Otherwise, your shirt’s going to catch on your surgical staples, and that hurts.  

I love working in the operating room. Urologist Philip Pierorazio, MD, allowed me to see the surgeries that were performed on me, so I’ve gone from having the surgeries myself, to observing them, and now participating in them as a nurse. The job suits my passion for solving problems. If you have a cardiac issue, like your mitral valve isn’t working, the surgical team can replace it with a new one and we can see the difference. Or, we’re fixing someone’s leg because they broke it; we put plates and screws in there, and we get to see that gratification on the patient’s face. 

Taking on new challenges  

The last three years have been filled with so many moments of personal joy, accomplishment, and gratitude. On July 2, 2021, I was declared cancer-free. (I will have life-long screening appointments.) On Sept. 9, 2022, our son, CJ, was born, and I became a dad—something I’ve always wanted to be. On Nov. 27, 2023, I joined the nursing staff at Penn Medicine. And on June 2, 2024, I completed my first 100-mile bike ride—the American Cancer Society’s Bridge to the Beach Bike-a-Thon—which felt phenomenal.  

I’m the healthiest and happiest I’ve ever been. I hope sharing my story will encourage others to do challenging things in life. It’s going to be a battle, but you can get through it. 

Penn Medicine employees: Did you have an unconventional path to health care or within Penn Medicine? Email EmployeeStories@pennmedicine.upenn.edu and tell us about your career journey.