May 2023
Cheryl
Slater
,
MSN-ED, RN, NPD-BC, RNC-NIC
Maternal Child Health
Boston Medical Center
Boston
,
MA
United States
Her love and compassion for her nurses and unit was apparent. In a time of pure chaos, Cheryl was able to bring order to the NICU.
In July of 2022, Cheryl Slater was asked to step up from nurse educator to nurse manager. The months of July and August are notoriously busy in the NICU, so at this time, the NICU was under enough stress. Cheryl had just finished on boarding approximately eleven new NICU nurses, four of them being new graduates, all while she was still educating the pediatric units. Cheryl was there early every morning to greet and support the night staff. She was always present on the unit during the day to help out the new staff. Dressed in her scrubs at the bedside assisting with critically ill newborns, Cheryl went above and beyond as a nurse manager. Her transition to educator to nurse manager seemed seamless to the nurses, she is such a natural leader. Cheryl was previously a NICU nurse at Mass General prior to her transition to BMC and her past experience truly showed. It did not matter what time is was, Cheryl was always a call or text away. Her love and compassion for her nurses and unit was apparent. In a time of pure chaos, Cheryl was able to bring order to the NICU. Although Cheryl is no longer the nurse manager and has transitioned back into her role as nurse educator, she continues to support her nurses. Not only does she support them at the bedside, she is running the Boston Marathon with three other BMC NICU nurses! I cannot think of any other way to thank an individual than to nominate her for this award. Cheryl demonstrated what is it to be a leader, to step up to the plate when it is needed, and to give it your absolute best. She is a phenomenal role model to the new NICU nurses, especially the new grads; her compassion is contagious.