Natalie is the epitome of a DAISY Nurse Leader. She fosters so much care and thought into every interaction with patients, colleagues, and members of our leadership. She is truly a striking example of a leader within our department. She advocates for her patients and her APP team to ensure the best possible outcome for all parties.

The Pediatric Anesthesia team has grown significantly over the past two years, almost doubling in size. Natalie advocated for our team to have more staff, so we have the bandwidth to see all the pre-operative patients. While doing so, she created and maintained a positive, hardworking, trusting, and respectful team within the greater Anesthesia department and Lurie Children's. She has been the backbone of our APP group in the anesthesia department during a period of rapid growth and role expansion.

Under her leadership, she has increased the Chronic Pain Clinic from 3 half days a month to 2-4 days per week. She has created two new preoperative APP roles (inpatient pre-anesthesia provider APP and risk assessment APP). Most recently, she launched an entirely new preoperative clinic that allows patients and families to be seen days to weeks prior to their anesthetized procedure to ensure they are medically optimized and to address any questions or concerns families have during what is often a stressful time. Natalie leads our team with compassion, empathy, and unwavering dedication to patient care. She goes above and beyond for her patients and team by facilitating an environment where everyone feels valued and heard. She always ensures that patient needs are met, especially for our Chronic Pain patients. She is an exceptional leader who truly embodies the spirit of nursing excellence. She is always attentive and reassures a supportive environment of inclusivity and trust. She welcomes everyone into her office for discussions about anything from concerns, questions, and feedback to celebrations or just a warm “Hello.” She is a model leader in her role, an example to many of us on how to conduct ourselves professionally at our institution, and an overall wonderful leader and person.

Finally, her patients and families love her. Anyone who knows Natalie knows her impressive ability to speak eloquently, compassionately, and thoughtfully with her patients and families. She models all the behaviors that new (and experienced) APPs aspire to be one day. She holds all of the qualities that make for a DAISY Leader and beyond. I do not know anyone who would be better fitted for this honor. It has been an honor to work alongside her through the years.