by Matt Batcheldor
Marlee Crankshaw, DNP, RN, CNML, administrative director of Neonatal Services for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, is receiving the 2019 Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Alumni Award for Clinical Achievement in Nursing.
According to the school’s criteria, the honor “is presented to a VUSN alumna/us for outstanding contributions in clinical, patient-centered practice. Nominees include clinicians in hospital or clinical settings who provide outstanding patient care, lead by example, contribute practice improvements and embody teamwork.”
The award, along with seven others, will be presented during the VUSN Reunion on Oct. 18.
Crankshaw began caring for babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, now the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, in 1983.
Crankshaw’s fourth child, Katie, spent time in the NICU, which inspired her career. After spending her first decade at Vanderbilt as a floor nurse, Crankshaw became the first staff nurse/case manager in 1995.
While serving as case manager, her desire to learn more about health management and improving the quality of care in the NICU prompted her to enroll in the master’s program at VUSN. In 2001, she obtained her Master of Science in Nursing degree, specializing in Health Systems Management. In 2010, she received her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with an emphasis on Nursing Administration.
Crankshaw has said her primary piece of advice for nurses is “to strive to make a difference in each of the lives entrusted to us — to leave a heart print for that patient and family. Heart prints will last a lifetime.”