When I first met Lisa, I was a nurse practitioner student. One thing a person notices very quickly is her incredible knowledge base. Her vast knowledge and inclusive nature create an environment in which team members feel comfortable enough to communicate their concerns. She has the ability to communicate in a non-threatening way and guide team members in a direction that ultimately helps the learner obtain maximal potential. This is evident with the number of new graduates that were students here and decided to continue their journey with Loma Linda’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Her career and position in the NICU have allowed her to be such an expert.

She has fulfilled multiple roles in the NICU, including bedside nurse, transport coordinator, and nurse practitioner. Additionally, she has worked in different units with different cultures, and because of these experiences, she is able to objectively look at practice issues and effectively suggest interventions that promote the best possible outcomes for patients and families and still make team members feel valued. As an example, during the care of one patient, a new attending had requested a certain type of ventilation be used. The attending had just finished her fellowship in neonatology. Lisa was able to see the type of ventilation was not going to be as effective as the attending would hope for. Some team members had questions about the change in ventilator strategies. Lisa quickly prioritized what was needed to be done and gathered the team together to answer their questions. She was able to patiently describe the strategies that would be best for the patient. The attending and the group later thanked Lisa for pointing out areas that were not originally considered.

Lisa is also extremely passionate and compassionate about her career as a nurse practitioner. Caring for families and infants can for the most part be extremely rewarding but there are occasions when it is extremely difficult and sad. I have witnessed times where Lisa is present with families crying and supporting the family members through these difficult times. With family members, she shows her ability to relate to them and explain complex matters that help family members understand the needs of their infant. Her demonstrated compassion often extends far beyond patients and families.

Recently while caring for one of my patients, the infant passed away and I was upset. Lisa recognized my despair and despite it being the end of her shift, she took the time to make sure that I had an opportunity to talk about the experience and offer words of kindness. Her passion and commitment to our NNP team are exhibited time and time again by the number of extra hours she works to ensure that the nurse practitioner group's needs are met.

Finally, this past year while going through her own family hardships, Lisa showed her dedication to the unit and our group. She took on a newly developed role as the NNP lead. Previously, the group would discuss common issues and come up with a solution, but as our group has grown it has become increasingly difficult to continue to resolve issues in this manner. Also, there were committees and meetings where the nurse practitioners were not adequately represented. The nurse practitioners recognized the need for such a position and yet while there was a need, there was a hesitation for historical reasons. Lisa has stepped into the role and has done an incredible job in giving us a representation that was previously missing. She has in my opinion improved our scheduling issues and overall has decreased tensions amongst team members and between disciplines.