Laura Highman is an extraordinary supervisor and never asks of her team something she does not herself do. There is no task or job beneath her and she is the epitome of fairness. She will fill in for any team member in their absence and is skilled in every area of the department. She is a master of technology, a problem solver, and responds immediately to any inquiry. And, in a department our size, I am certain the questions never end. She never loses patience or gets annoyed but is very clear on boundaries in a very respectful and thoughtful way. She demonstrates this daily with consistency.

There are many examples that can be offered, but one situation that stands out in my head is her unrelenting focus on the most problematic barriers and never taking No for an answer. There was a patient here for over 100 days. During that time, Laura took over her case management needs as the barriers were too great. The patient had attempted to end her life and was in our PICU for an extended time. She had numerous safety issues, cognitive barriers, and an insurance that was not allowing any viable options for her recovery and rehabilitation needed. Laura had exhausted over 100 places and even reached out to the Governor of the State and many other high-ranking officials, even reaching out to the President. Eventually, the patient got the care needed when almost everyone else had given up. The patient is now getting the help she needs and can thank Laura personally for her incredible persistence.

Laura creates an environment filled with trust, compassion, and mutual respect, always encouraging the team on continued professional development. She is a role model of professionalism but adds a comfortable informality that puts the team at ease. She treats us all as adults with respect, kindness, and consideration. She has personally set aside time for me in a moment of need and encourages an open dialogue. She works hard to move through barriers in place and is extremely accommodating to the individual and unique needs of each team member. She is involved in ethical matters and is the place where all difficult matters land. When these situations arise- which unfortunately is often she is able to maneuver through those events with ease and effortlessness-never demonstrating even an ounce of stress or frustration.

During my orientation time, I met weekly with Laura, as she does with each new employee. She would dedicate unlimited time for me to listen to my concerns, fears and struggles adapting to a new job and organization. She always offered insight and hope to each session. She does this with all her team, and this one small act has offered the team a voice and a feeling of being heard.

Laura motivates staff with enthusiasm that helps the team achieve our best quality outcomes. She is truly an expert in innovation, technology, and being able to clearly see past obstacles to solutions. Through her expertise, decades of clinical experience, and well thought out critical thinking, she is able to facilitate the task. It is through her shared vision and passion that she is able to smoothly have the team share in her idea. She encourages free thought, engagement, open discussion, and problem-solving. She is humble in her approach and is always open to new ideas and implementation. During each of our meetings, she presents areas needed for progress but creates an environment rich in thought and idea exchange. She has helped to create a culture that is non intimidating but robust in creativity and ingenuity.

Laura promotes and enhances the image of nursing within the organization, the community, and the profession by implementing the pillars of Johns Hopkins. She demonstrates listening, caring, advocacy, creativity, innovation, and exploration throughout all she does for her team and her patients. She has the ability to deal with highly emotional situations and think through them in a methodical way eventually leading to resolution. By her simply doing what comes naturally to her, she has instilled in her team the same values. I will share one final example of how she represents Johns Hopkins, her department, her team, and her role in what can only be described as heroic.

There was a young boy who was a patient with a rare disease. He had been admitted for some time and went back and forth to home several times, each time progressively getting worse. The parents were desperate for answers, and the medical team identified a hospital in another state that specialized in his condition. Laura worked tirelessly with his insurance company to get him there. He was quite ill and required air ambulance to get there. She was determined to get the child where he could get the care that was required. She exhausted every effort she had escalating within the complex insurance system, providing emotional support and updates to the family and group of doctors. In the end, the system was stronger than her. That poor child ended up succumbing to his complicated condition while waiting for insurance to approve the flight. Even through despair and defeat, she took her sadness and transitioned into a cause, writing to the Governor and President of the United States, letting them know what had transpired so no other child and parent should ever experience this again. Even through loss and crisis, she put her pain to a cause. This is only one example of the inspiring leader Laura is. She deserves the DAISY Nurse Leader Award for recognition of what she does daily, the Nurse Leader she is, and the team she has come to cultivate.