During the past year and a half, Tara has taken on the major challenge of coordinating onboarding and orientation for an entire hospital of nursing staff. She worked diligently throughout the months prior to opening South Hospital to help engage new staff and arrange orientation at the various facilities throughout UofL Health. She then orchestrated a 2-week on-site clinical orientation for all of the new staff for the facility that included all disciplines. She not only made this informative for the entire group, but she also made it fun and engaging. Fast forward to opening our doors, Tara was instrumental in helping to ensure all nursing areas were properly set up, stocked, and the teams were acclimated to their new work environments. She then maintained daily presence throughout all units to provide hands-on real time education as needed.

Throughout our entire first year, she has had to not only learn all new equipment but also coordinate teaching for many different disciplines. She has had to continuously juggle a variety of vendors, new equipment, and new system-wide process changes. She also courageously tackled managing the facility's Policy & Procedure committee, worked with our system's Emergency Preparedness team, coordinated all our RAVE alert systems, and worked with our local school system to implement a student clinical shadow program here at South Hospital. She has also started our Nurse Residency Program, which has been widely praised by the participants to help foster continual learning and professional growth. Tara has helped in all areas of the facility and needs. She has not only coordinated our entire education program, but she has also filled in as a House Manager at times, she covers for Nurse Managers when they are on vacation, providing daily leadership of those units, and has willingly jumped in to help in any area whenever the need arises. She exemplifies the essence of a continual learner, team player, and true leader. I can say without hesitation that we would not have been as successful opening South Hospital without Tara Neuner, and I wholeheartedly believe that no one has a greater passion for teaching than she does. Tara is truly the epitome of not only a Nurse Educator but a true DAISY Nurse Leader.