September 2026 Honoree
Madeleine Morales, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Maddie Morales came to 4B at a time when staff needed a leader, and she truly delivered. Her goal has always been to make an impact on the patients on our unit by serving the staff who work here.
From the very beginning, she quickly learned about each staff member, what is important to them personally, and how they like to be recognized for their work. Her door is always open, and she constantly stops what she is doing to chat with staff. She is constantly pushing staff to advance in their careers and encouraging the clinical ladder, NCA classes and advancement, writing letters of recommendation for graduate school, encouraging the charge nurse role, finding champions for unit positions, and helping staff find their passion areas. If someone is interested in something, she finds a way to encourage their development in that area. She has worked to promote a culture of staff who are empowered to escalate their concerns, and she addresses each one.
Maddie takes ideas from staff and implements them quickly. Because of her leadership and follow-through, staff are motivated to bring up concerns and proactively identify solutions that can be carried out with her help. She shares common goals with the staff to better the care of patients on our unit, to have great working relationships with peers, and to constantly advance and improve.
Through her leadership, change is not something that is feared on our unit, but readily embraced. Staff feel ready for each new implementation and are prepared well. Maddie is the first to jump in and help on a busy day, and she advocates fiercely for staff and the unit, not backing away from a challenge. She has formed relationships within the hospital and our department that allow her to advocate and collaborate, bettering relationships among different units and staff. She has worked to teach our staff about the global picture within the CSU, helping them to see that there is often more going on behind the scenes and teaching them to be more patient, understanding, and team players.
To provide just a few examples of her tremendous leadership and advocacy: Historically, our unit was the primary unit for behavioral health patients. We would often have four or five at a time, causing significant emotional strain on staff and also causing a lot of physical injury and distress. Within her first year, Maddie advocated for those patients to be spread out among several different units, which led to greater resources on each unit, less staff harm, less burnout, and greater satisfaction at work.
She had a staff member with a family emergency during the week of Christmas and came in to staff herself so that staff could have the needed time away. She is selfless and dedicated to the unit.
We had a patient admitted for over one hundred days while waiting for a long-term placement. Maddie took time daily to talk with him about his future, offer a listening ear, and take walks with him around the unit or around the hospital to get lunch. She attended weekly meetings to assist in getting him placement, while also helping to set him up for life after the hospital (ensuring job readiness, etc.).
Maddie makes "nurse badges" for some of our long-term patients; she prints their picture on her computer and helps them feel included. They love showing everyone their new badge and wearing it on their gowns! She gets to know the patients and their families; you can hear patients riding bikes past her door saying, "Hi, Maddie!" throughout the day. Parents come to her office to chat, check in, and seek assistance when they need it, knowing that she is a listening ear and resource to them. She gets involved early with families who need extra assistance or manager involvement and is quick to address safety or behavior concerns to protect her staff.
Maddie is a servant leader. She motivates staff through her honesty, encouragement, and helpful spirit. She is open and always willing to listen. She advocates daily and is always available when staff needs her. She is one of the best parts of our unit, and we are so thankful to have her.
From the very beginning, she quickly learned about each staff member, what is important to them personally, and how they like to be recognized for their work. Her door is always open, and she constantly stops what she is doing to chat with staff. She is constantly pushing staff to advance in their careers and encouraging the clinical ladder, NCA classes and advancement, writing letters of recommendation for graduate school, encouraging the charge nurse role, finding champions for unit positions, and helping staff find their passion areas. If someone is interested in something, she finds a way to encourage their development in that area. She has worked to promote a culture of staff who are empowered to escalate their concerns, and she addresses each one.
Maddie takes ideas from staff and implements them quickly. Because of her leadership and follow-through, staff are motivated to bring up concerns and proactively identify solutions that can be carried out with her help. She shares common goals with the staff to better the care of patients on our unit, to have great working relationships with peers, and to constantly advance and improve.
Through her leadership, change is not something that is feared on our unit, but readily embraced. Staff feel ready for each new implementation and are prepared well. Maddie is the first to jump in and help on a busy day, and she advocates fiercely for staff and the unit, not backing away from a challenge. She has formed relationships within the hospital and our department that allow her to advocate and collaborate, bettering relationships among different units and staff. She has worked to teach our staff about the global picture within the CSU, helping them to see that there is often more going on behind the scenes and teaching them to be more patient, understanding, and team players.
To provide just a few examples of her tremendous leadership and advocacy: Historically, our unit was the primary unit for behavioral health patients. We would often have four or five at a time, causing significant emotional strain on staff and also causing a lot of physical injury and distress. Within her first year, Maddie advocated for those patients to be spread out among several different units, which led to greater resources on each unit, less staff harm, less burnout, and greater satisfaction at work.
She had a staff member with a family emergency during the week of Christmas and came in to staff herself so that staff could have the needed time away. She is selfless and dedicated to the unit.
We had a patient admitted for over one hundred days while waiting for a long-term placement. Maddie took time daily to talk with him about his future, offer a listening ear, and take walks with him around the unit or around the hospital to get lunch. She attended weekly meetings to assist in getting him placement, while also helping to set him up for life after the hospital (ensuring job readiness, etc.).
Maddie makes "nurse badges" for some of our long-term patients; she prints their picture on her computer and helps them feel included. They love showing everyone their new badge and wearing it on their gowns! She gets to know the patients and their families; you can hear patients riding bikes past her door saying, "Hi, Maddie!" throughout the day. Parents come to her office to chat, check in, and seek assistance when they need it, knowing that she is a listening ear and resource to them. She gets involved early with families who need extra assistance or manager involvement and is quick to address safety or behavior concerns to protect her staff.
Maddie is a servant leader. She motivates staff through her honesty, encouragement, and helpful spirit. She is open and always willing to listen. She advocates daily and is always available when staff needs her. She is one of the best parts of our unit, and we are so thankful to have her.
Thank you, Madeleine, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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