Dr. Lanisha Hunter has the phenomenal ability to express caring for others while managing the endless demands of a large, busy department. She continues to hardwire the importance of patient care as well as decreasing hospital-acquired infections. Committed to consistently rounding and checking for HAIs on a daily basis, she has led a dept that has had zero MRSA-acquired infections in the last 9 years and zero CAUTI in the past 4 years. Even though she has numerous lists, tasks, and meetings to attend, you would never know it because whenever someone talks to her, she consistently portrays a caring, positive attitude and awesome smile while making that person feel like they are the only one she is focused on. She leads with humility and always manages her team members "up" so they will have every opportunity to grow and develop.

Building a strong, cohesive team is her goal and mentoring is a top priority: "I am passionate about Mentorship! I lead from within, bringing out the best in others. I enjoy creating the space for individuals to be inspired, to find their own resolutions, and identify their potential." This ENTHUSIASTIC leader draws people to her. Staff and leaders alike enjoy her energy, positivity, and radiance. From her winning smile to the individualized concern she displays for each team member and their goals, she is the force that creates positive outcomes in nursing practice!

In the midst of COVID, she was asked to lead a merger of two departments in four days and she was successful in completing this task! When staff morale was low, she paid out of pocket for a team-building exercise away from campus to boost morale. When her assistant director left to pursue another opportunity, Lanisha created a "clinical resource" role for four of the informal nursing staff leaders in the department to assist in making sure patient outcomes were only positively affected during the transition. The feedback from the staff about the role was overwhelmingly positive as they state, "There is always someone here for support. We love the new role.

"Dr. Hunter was recognized for displaying a caring spirit by a leader rounder who observed her interacting with a Palliative care patient/family as she was sitting at the bedside, calmly holding their hand and answering questions. Her favorite community service activity was leading an initiative to collect clothing, toiletries, and canned goods for a House that provides shelter for homeless women 18 years and older. The safe haven offers a range of services from hot meals/shelter to case management. There were over 5 carloads of items donated!" The tears in the eyes of the staff meant so much. It would not have been possible without community support, my sisterhood, and local churches."

Lanisha is passionate about mentorship, leading from within, and bringing out the best in others within nursing. She challenges herself to be the best she can be as evidenced by recently obtaining her Doctor of Healthcare Administration. She has mentored three other colleagues to do the same and they have successfully obtained their degree also. Because of her mentorship and example, 11 nurses and 15 nurse techs have had the courage to further their own education. "Growing Others" is her goal. She does not micromanage but allows growth independently with her support.

One of her staff states, "She is a success because she allows staff to go with their ideas and support them. She has never turned one of my ideas down or said no." COMMITMENT to patients, families, and colleagues IS the priority for Lanisha. She organized and celebrated an elaborate birthday party for a patient who had been on the dept for over 100 days. She also bought her clothes, food, and presents with her own money on almost a daily basis. When a colleague had a critical illness, Lanisha facilitated a fundraiser that raised over $1500 to assist her. She buys scrubs for staff who cannot afford them and has secretly "blessed" a co-worker numerous times. The beauty of her commitment to others is that it is always done in humility and without any mention of herself.

"She is someone you always want to talk to, be with, as she brings sunshine to every endeavor!" States a colleague. Lanisha leads a large, busy department but also takes the time to pay attention to individual patient needs. A trauma patient was scheduled to graduate but due to his injuries, he would not be able to attend. Lanisha arranged a "hospital graduation" complete with cap and gown and all staff standing on either side of the hallway cheering as he "marched" with the graduation song playing! The joy on his face was radiant!

GROWTH in others thrills this Lanisha. She has mentored a senior student at a local university for the past 2 years. Because of her support and quarterly meetings, the student will be immediately pursuing their master's degree after graduation. These are just a few of the stories I could tell about Dr. Lanisha Hunter. I have learned so much under her leadership about how to care for people, not only patients/families but also my colleagues. She is the most upbeat and positive person I know, and her energy always radiates to others, making her department a fun and energetic place to provide exceptional care to patients!