#1--When I returned to nursing 25 years after graduating, I did not see myself as a leader. I saw myself as someone who needed to catch up, to prove myself, and to quietly do my job well. After working on a medical-surgical unit and then transitioning to the Infusion Center during COVID, I eventually joined our growing Cancer Center—still focused on tasks, still unsure of my place.

Kris Peterson saw something in me that I could not yet see in myself.

As our department grew, I began asking questions and trying to organize workflows simply to make sense of the day-to-day demands. Where others might have seen this as overstepping, Kris saw possibility. She didn’t shut me down—she leaned in. She invited me to help. She trusted me.

That trust changed everything.

Kris gave me opportunities that stretched me—revising onboarding tools, building orientation roadmaps, and improving internal systems that impacted both staff and patients. She didn’t just assign tasks; she gave purpose. She made me feel that my voice mattered, that my ideas had weight, and that I was contributing to something bigger than myself.

She leads with a rare combination of humility and vision. Kris has an extraordinary ability to recognize the unique strengths in each person and bring them forward in ways that elevate the entire team. She noticed my background in graphic design—something I had never imagined would matter in nursing—and encouraged me to use it to improve communication and organization. In doing so, she showed me that every part of who I am has value.

Because of Kris, I began to grow—not just in skill, but in confidence.

Within a year, my role evolved into a Nurse Navigator position. But more importantly, my mindset transformed. With her encouragement, I pursued additional training, participated in oncology education, and became involved in the Evidence-Based Practice Council. She supported me through the Career Ladder program, ensuring I had the resources to expand the work I was already passionate about. Kris didn’t just develop my role—she changed how I see myself. I no longer come to work asking, “How do I get through today?” Because of her leadership, I now ask, “What can we build for tomorrow?” That shift has not only shaped my career—it has improved the care we provide to our patients.

Kris Peterson is the kind of nurse leader who changes lives quietly, consistently, and profoundly. She empowers, she uplifts, and she creates space for others to become more than they thought possible.

I am one of those people.

And because of her, our patients are cared for by a stronger, more confident, and more inspired team.

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Truthfully, every single day Kris goes above and beyond. She always jumps in to help when we get busy, she helps clean our department, she makes sure all her employees are happy and feel heard with concerns, she greets patients by name and leaves them smiling, and she helps boost the morale of the entire department.

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Kris is always an advocate for her everyone. She advocates for patient and making life easier for the patient. She is always concerned about patient safety and wants to do the right thing every time for patients. She is an advocate for her staff. She is always to helping her staff when we are short staff or even with staff member have a family emergency is jumping in to help. Whenever I have a problem, Kris always gives me the time to listen to both work issues and even personal. I'm not elegant with words but Kris is the best manager I've worked for in my nursing career.

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I have worked with Kris fairly closely as a nurse leader for about 1.5 years now. I know I don't see her in action with her team or patients very often, but I do see her working very hard in the background to provide a safe place to work with great patient outcomes. She is very kind and compassionate and is always thinking about how something will affect the patient or team.

When we work on policies together or trainings together, that is a huge amount of our conversations. She worries about her team, their safety while providing antineoplastic therapy to patients, and the satisfaction and outcomes of the patient. There have been many times I have stopped by to see her and she is filling in on the floor for a nurse or even for front office staff. Yesterday, I stopped by and she was filling in at the front desk so that N could go get lunch. They were short staffed in both areas and she was working hard to make sure everyone got a break and patient care continued seamlessly. She is a great leader and deserving of this Award.