Annalesa Sackey, MSN, APRN, CPNP-AC, joined Vanderbilt Health in May 2024 as the first pediatric burn advanced practice provider at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Though the burn unit was new to her, she had extensive experience with pediatric intensive care and patients with complex needs, including oncology and stem cell transplant, at children’s hospitals around the country.
What set Sackey apart is that she had no interest in filling a role; she wanted to help create one.
“I wasn’t looking to come in from nine-to-five, go home and stop thinking about how to do my job better, make care better for patients and better coordinate and work with my colleagues,” said the 31-year-old mother of two. “Burn found me — I didn’t really find it. It popped up in my life; I flew with it; and I don’t want to go back.”
For the way she has “revolutionized” the care provided to pediatric burn patients, Sackey received a Credo Award at the Fall 2025 VUMC Leadership Forum. The award recognizes VUMC faculty, staff and house staff who consistently demonstrate exceptional credo behaviors: making those they serve their highest priority, having a sense of ownership, conducting themselves professionally, respecting privacy and confidentiality, and communicating effectively, with commitment to their colleagues.
“Historically, there have been barriers to burn care for pediatric patients as many of the burn providers are housed in the adult hospital, resulting in difficulty with coordination and communication among other services in the children’s hospital,” one nominator wrote. “Annalesa dove into the newly created position of burn nurse practitioner with a positive mindset, collaborative approach and a relentless work ethic. She immediately engaged pediatric burn stakeholders to help identify gaps in care and areas for improvement, wasting no time in problem-solving strategies to overcome these concerns and implementing plans for change.
“This quickly resulted in an extensive list of projects that Annalesa was able to appropriately prioritize and efficiently accomplish, while rapidly earning the trust and respect of patients and providers alike.”
Sackey is “in awe” of her nominations and award.
“My colleagues express their gratitude to me all the time, as I do for them, so what was written wasn’t factually a surprise, but knowing that they took time out of their day to write such a beautiful nomination brings me to tears,” she said.
Shortly after Sackey began her role as pediatric burn nurse practitioner, an accident resulted in the admission of multiple children with severe burns.
“Annalesa was still transitioning into her role and learning the workflow for pediatric burn patients,” one nominator wrote. “However, she immediately took ownership for these children, not only ensuring they received quality medical management, but providing compassionate care to the family.”
Whether she’s the face of the pediatric burn unit for families or working behind the scenes, Sackey, who manages up to 20 acute and complex care cases at any given time, has made a massive impact in a short time.
“A lot of what I do is very quiet, and I like it that way,” she said. “I like to make sure that the patient is taken care of whether or not anyone knows who’s in the background.
“Vanderbilt taught me everything I know about burns. I don’t do this alone, and I continue to work with an amazing team that supports me in my personal and professional life.”
View Annalesa Sackey’s video from Leadership Forum.
If you are a VUMC employee, you can nominate a colleague for an Elevate Credo Award, C. Wright Pinson Leader Award, or Team Award. Visit the Elevate website to fill out a nomination form. Employees demonstrate credo behaviors when: they make those they serve the highest priority; respect privacy and confidentiality; communicate effectively; conduct themselves professionally; have a sense of ownership; and are committed to their colleagues. Elevate award nominations are accepted year-round. If a nomination is received after the cutoff for an award selection period, the nomination will be considered for the next period. VUMC VOICE will post stories on each of the award winners in the weeks following their announcement.