Laurel Butler, BSN, RN, RNC-NIC

When you meet Laurel, there truly is no kinder, hard-working, and knowledgeable nurse!! I have worked alongside her for years, and her commitment to being positive and doing the right thing never ceases to amaze me! She is the heart behind our NICU team and constantly keeps us all in line. Just to name a few of her education achievements, she has created 4 division-wide continuing education classes as a nurse planner, all content based on learning needs assessment and staff highly requested content. She also teaches level 4 residency classes as well as surgery classes. She has also created several corporate education pieces that are used for our NICU units nationwide. She is the go-to content expert on our North Division NICU team. She jumps in on every project and brings it to a higher level. She collaborates with the pediatric and emergency team throughout the year, including Peritoneal dialysis, mock doc, or OB in the ED classes she’s there to support. She has driven so many projects like small baby care, breast milk safety, CLABSI reduction, unplanned extubation, and cardiac care. She would shake her head no to this, but I know her work alone has helped decrease our neonatal morbidity and mortality rates! She has spoken at ANN, NICU consortium, and now NANN national conferences! Her modesty and continual drive to do more are a standard everyone around her should aspire to get to. Laurel is the very definition of our ALWAYS standards, and truly even this write-up isn’t enough to tell you how amazing she is!!! Our entire division team wouldn’t be what it is today, aka able to drive down mortality, CLABSI, NEC, IVH rates, to name a few, without her, and for that I am so honored to work with her every day!

Laurel goes far beyond the responsibilities of her role as Clinical NICU Nurse Educator. She consistently exemplifies compassion, excellence, and dedication to her staff nurses and fellow educators. Being the newer kid on the block in this position, Laurel has always made me feel welcome and continues to answer my never-ending list of questions with grace and patience. She always has a resource, one-pager, or HealthStream assignment ready to go when needed. And rather than becoming a new mother slowing her down, this new chapter seemed to deepen her empathy and strengthen her ability to connect with and support others. Laurel embodies the values of the DAISY Award through leadership, clinical excellence, and unwavering compassion. Our NICU service line (which some would argue is the best service line) is stronger because of Laurel’s dedication, and I can think of no one more deserving of this recognition.