About Us

At its core, Fit Functional Nurses (FFN) is dedicated to giving back to front-line workers; those who dedicate their lives to others before themselves.

What Is FFN

Fit Functional Nurses
Utilizing incentive programs designed to enrich a nurse’s lifestyle and overall well-being for the care, dedication, and compassion they provide to others. FFN hopes a little recognition, appreciation, and experiences outside the workplace will help balance the ever-growing number of burnt-out nurses physically, spiritually, and mentally.

“One of the many goals of FFN is to help other nurses realize the need to create a solid work-life balance so they don’t end up making the same mistakes I have. I wouldn’t want any of my fellow nurses to go through what I went through,” Paonessa says. “It has taken me down paths that, quite frankly, I’m not proud of. I’m very grateful to have recognized after 6 years the negative outcomes of giving so much into my career.”

Nurses and all front-line workers have braved the war against COVID-19, yet tend to be overlooked and underappreciated. Restaurant, Uber or taxi ride, hotel stays, or activity discounts are all in FFN’s incentive plans, but Paonessa looks to take it to the next level. “I want to take it to the extreme, with things such as no downpayment when you buy a home, or incentive programs for buying a home.” Paonessa believes nurses should get treated like royalty for the work they do and the sacrifices they make—and he’s not wrong!

Nurses go above and beyond the call of duty day after day. “That’s why it’s so important that we take care of ourselves outside of work so we can come back fulfilled and ready to provide a higher quality of care,” Paonessa says. “FFN makes it very accessible and achievable for nurses to have those outlets by hosting events and giving incentives to experience new restaurants, go to the gym, explore the city, and participate in local attractions.”

FFN’s Mission

Fit Functional Nurses is not just a catchy name—it directly embodies everything FFN stands for. “Fit” comes from the overall sense of well-being that unifies the spiritual, mental, and physical components that create balance. “Functional” represents the ability to adapt to all external elements that force you to function at a high level. Finally, the “Nurses”—the new American heroes—whose duty is to treat their patients with respect, kindness, and compassion while demonstrating their knowledge, skill, and passion for the dignity of the individual.

“My mission is to go worldwide and spread the message that nurses should be supported in the community,” Paonessa says. “It’s like a snowball effect: There are so many areas that I can tap into that it’s going to lead to so much more acknowledgment and enlightenment for people around America to start focusing on our nurses and giving back to the community.”

On top of getting nurses the benefits and incentives they deserve, he wants to travel to high schools and educate students on the importance of nurses and hopefully inspire the next generation of caregivers.

Paonessa’s crusade towards nursing awareness will start in Las Vegas, where he is currently stationed. “Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world. It makes sense to start here because there are so many things to do and so many ways to give back to nurses as far as restaurant discounts and other incentives,” he says. In the immediate future, he plans on expanding to Arizona, California, Texas, and New York.

FFN is committed to building relationships within the community to support and recognize nurses for all that they do. Paonessa hopes that when this pandemic is finally resolved, the flame that the first responders have provided to their communities is still burning bright, and will be seen as a light that never fades in the future.

Recognizing Nurses for Years to Come

“With FFN, I want to create unity and bonds between nurses that are similar to those formed by soldiers or people who were in the U.S. Marines.” Paonessa explains, “While we don’t know each other, we can connect on so many different levels because we understand what the other person went through and what was taught to us.”

He states that he wants to take this everywhere because while there are hospitals everywhere, the heartbeat of hospitals is the nurses who make or break the entire hospital experience. Paonessa says, “FFN will put nurses on the map by shining a light on what they do and how they give back.”

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