Message from Brian Stahulak, Chief Nursing Officer

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

It is my great pleasure to introduce the 2025 Nursing Report and this year’s theme: Inspiration in Action. Every day at Lurie Children’s, our nurses, advanced practice providers (APPs), and nursing leaders are turning inspiration into impact—at the bedside, through research, in the community and beyond.

Inspiration in Action is more than a theme—it’s how we lead. From a reimagined professional governance structure driven by frontline nurses, to our sixth Magnet designation—a standard of excellence that’s now our norm—it’s clear: we are not just keeping pace with change, we are setting it.

We’ve made strides in patient safety, reducing hospital-acquired conditions by more than 20 percent. That progress reflects thousands of individual moments when nurses chose excellence. We’re also investing in one another—building a culture grounded in allyship, well-being, and belonging.

When inpatient coverage needed to shift because of the changing healthcare landscape, nursing responded. Through rethinking how care is delivered and by leveraging the expertise of the APP team, we created new care models that offer exceptional inpatient care.

Our impact reaches far beyond our walls. The Healing Hands Initiative in Grenada, the launch of virtual nursing models, and our seventh Nursing Research Conference, Innovations in Clinical Inquiry—all demonstrate a bold, curious spirit that defines who we are.

None of this would be possible without the partnership of providers and staff across the medical center, incredible generosity of our philanthropic partners and the dedication of every nurse in our organization.

Let this report be a celebration—and a reminder—that your work is not only seen, it’s felt. Thank you for inspiring us all, through action, every single day.

With Gratitude,
Brian M. Stahulak
DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC
Sr VP, Chief Clinical Officer & Chief Nursing Officer
Fred Love Krehbiel Chair in Nursing Excellence