MONICA ANADU

• Name: Monica Anadu, RN, GSN, CAPA, CNIV.

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AJC Special

Monica Anadu, a nurse at MCGHealth Medical Center in Augusta, is president of the Georgia Association of Perioperative Nurses.

• Current job: Senior perioperative staff nurse in the ambulatory surgical unit at MCGHealth Medical Center in Augusta.

• Past jobs: A nurse for 30 years, Anadu earned her nursing degree from the University of Nigeria. She moved up through the ranks in her country to become a senior nursing sister (nurse manager).

In 1989, she was recruited and passed the exams required to work at Harlem Hospital Center in New York City.

Since 1994, she has worked as a medical/surgical nurse and as a perioperative nurse at MCGHealth Medical Center. She earned her certification in perianesthesia nursing in 2004.

• Recent accomplishment: In September 2008, she was elected president of the Georgia Association of Perianesthesia Nurses. She will serve a one-year term as head of the organization.

• Family: Anadu lives with her husband, Austin, in Augusta. They have a daughter (Uzoma) and a son (Ikenna Charles).

• What makes a good leader? “I think a leader should be able to listen and have good communication skills. You have to be able to compromise. It’s not always about what you say or want; it’s about your ability to feel others’ pulses and make a judgment.

“You don’t have to like everyone, but you have to be consistent, which will earn people’s trust. If members don’t trust you, no one will do what you ask them to do.”

• What are you most proud of in your career? “I always wanted to be a nurse, and I’m most proud

of how far I’ve come. I was a senior nursing sister in Nigeria and became a charge nurse in Harlem.

“I’ve always been assertive. Back home, before I was married, my siblings looked up to me — I think because of my Christian faith. I’m the fourth child out of seven, but they still call me and ask my opinion. They want me to help them make decisions.

“I’m excited to be GAPAN’s new president. We’re organizing a retreat for the leaders from the seven districts. …Rather than just read the bylaws, we’ll meet so everyone can talk and exchange ideas about the organization.”

• Who has inspired or mentored you? “Sue Andrews, my nurse manager, inspired me to become a perioperative nurse.

“In the short time you have your patients, you are their advocate and you do all in your power to help them. There’s such satisfaction in that.

“She encouraged me to become an officer in GAPAN and I’ve learned from her leadership skills. She believed in me and [she] still does.”

• Away from work: “I love to cook both Nigerian and American dishes and to entertain. We have

an open-door policy at our house.

“People often ask me to make chicken salad. The recipe is a family secret.”

• Rule to live by: “Trust in God. The Bible says to put your trust in him and he will direct your path.

“I owe everything to God. He has been faithful and I give him all the glory.”

By Laura Raines, Pulse editor. Do you know a health care leader who deserves to be recognized? Send an e-mail to pulseeditor@ajc.com.