Renae started her nursing career in the NICU and has worked in both Patient Safety and the Operational Excellence Center. She currently serves as the Nurse Manager for the Pediatric Progressive Care Unit and recently took on the role of Interim Nurse Manager for the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Unit.

Renae has established a solid leadership foundation that balances patient-centric care with compassion and empathy, effectively leading her staff. She has always been an exceptional leader who supports and drives her staff and peers to excellence. This has been highlighted as she has accepted the role of Interim Nurse Manager for the Pediatric Oncology Unit while continuing to fulfill her responsibilities for the Pediatric Progressive Unit.

Between these two units, Renae oversees 36 patient beds and the staff that provide care for patients receiving chemotherapy, stem-cell transplants, post-surgical care, and other complex medical needs.

Since assuming her role as Interim Nurse Manager, Renae has immersed herself in the unfamiliar world of pediatric oncology. Within her first week, she gracefully maneuvered the flow of patients receiving complex clinical trials, helped support staff through the death of a beloved long-term patient, and stood shoulder to shoulder with team members—providing in-the-moment support for a highly charged and emotional social situation.

While some may debate the value of a first impression, Renae made sure to creatively introduce herself to everyone. All staff received a letter to their home where Renae introduced herself, expressed her willingness to learn and support staff, and cleverly included an unsigned voucher for staff to use at Starbucks or the cafeteria. This created an avenue for staff to come and find Renae, so everyone could make an introduction and have the voucher signed.

Renae again reached out to the entire staff via mail after the death of a long-term patient. She included a letter of support along with hand and footprints of the patient for staff to keep as a loving memory. Through her actions, she has managed to effectively reach and support an entire team during an especially trying time, all while transitioning into her new responsibilities.

She has inspired confidence in her new team, and her fresh perspective and willingness to jump right in have led to palpable changes in the attitude of the unit. Renae has somehow managed to provide both quality and quantity in both of her roles. While her time between both units is divided, she has succeeded in being available in both units and becomes fully present in the moment wherever she is, maximizing the value of that time to her staff.

Her leadership skills, combined with her seemingly endless compassion and empathy, have revitalized a team in need of the unique combination of attributes Renae possesses. In the staff's words, her presence, willingness to learn, and active listening have rejuvenated staff on the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit as she has become a magnet that brings staff together and guides them through challenging situations.

Below are some of the comments supporting Renae's nomination:

"Renae has stepped up and has exceeded all our expectations. She has gone above and beyond for our unit, our nurses, and our patients and families."
– Cara McConnell, Staff RN, Chair of Unit PCNC

"The nursing staff has provided nothing but POSITIVE feedback regarding Renae's leadership, highlighting her tremendous support, grace, and willingness to step in and take a hands-on approach immediately as our interim manager."
– Grace Day, Staff RN

"Over the past two weeks, Renae has consistently gone above and beyond, staying past 7 p.m. on multiple occasions to accomplish two critical tasks: ensuring patient safety and providing unwavering support to staff."
– Grace Day, Staff RN

"In the last two weeks since she joined our team, Renae has been staying long after her scheduled hours—working on the floor, answering call bells, relieving nurses so they could take breaks after difficult events and with challenging families—and has been beyond supportive."
– Shannon Ball, Staff RN

"[Regarding the vouchers mailed to staff members’ homes] I was shocked and truly moved that someone who owes us nothing took the time to do this, especially for an interim position. I felt that she really wanted to put effort and love into our unit in the short time she expects to be with us."
– Shannon Ball, Staff RN

"After recently losing a tiny patient that we were all very attached to, she immediately facilitated gifting us a care basket from PPCU, wrote us a card with a very personalized and loving message, ordered food, was out on the unit working to provide support, answer call bells, be present to allow for breaks, and also again had a letter sent home to each of us individually with a poem, a token to remember our patient, and a note at the bottom recognizing the care we gave and the difference we made."
– Shannon Ball, Staff RN

"...but the love and support and attention that she has given us after losing not just this one, but two patients recently, is something we haven't ever previously felt."
– Shannon Ball, Staff RN

"Seeing her on the unit physically involved in patient care, backing up nursing in terms of a zero-tolerance workplace violence standpoint, working with our patients and families, as well as staff on the floor—while she also has her own unit to care for—is truly outstanding."
– Shannon Ball, Staff RN

It has truly been a pleasure to watch Renae build new relationships without sacrificing her established relationships with her peers and staff. She has accepted her new role with grace and confidence, ensuring that staff have the tools to build resiliency with the dynamic challenges that arise when caring for our pediatric patients.