Crystal Lake Native Gets Nurse Of The Year Award

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — A Crystal Lake native has been picked as Advocate Health Care's 2023 Nurse of the Year award.

Lindsey Knickrehm, a registered nurse working in Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital’s float pool and serving patients across many different units, was selected because of her exemplary demonstration of Advocate Health Care’s core nursing values and unwavering delivery of exceptional nursing care, according to a news release.

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“Lindsey takes compassion, competence and collaboration to the highest level,” said Mary Roesch, Chief Nursing Officer at Advocate Good Shepherd. “She makes the transition from the hospital seamless for her patients, and she’s dedicated to her teammates. As co-chair of the Clinical Resource Shared Governance committee, Lindsey is heavily invested in continuing to improve the profession of nursing for all of us and in ensuring that Advocate Good Shepherd remains a great place to grow a nursing career.”

Advocate fielded more than 750 nominations for its Nurse of the Year award on behalf of nurses from a variety of specialties. These frontline nurses represent diversity in their backgrounds and experiences, including honorees with decades of experience and others new to the profession yet already making an impact on their patients, colleagues and communities, according to the Advocate news release.

“I feel very honored to be recognized, and it was really unexpected,” says Knickrehm. “I couldn’t be more thankful for the relationships with and influence of the people I work with who have helped and encouraged me so much.”

Inspired to pursue a career in healthcare as a teenager after her mother suffered a stroke, Knickrehm remembers the compassion, skill and collaboration of the nursing team she encountered then. She strives to bring that same spirit to her work at Advocate Good Shepherd.

“I take great happiness in helping my patients,” Knickrehm said. “I’m in a unique position to be an advocate for my patients and their families. Nursing can be physically and mentally demanding at times, but knowing I’ve made a difference in at least one person’s life each day outweighs any challenges.”

Nominations were submitted by clinicians and teammates and reviewed by peer committees for blinded judging according to each nominee’s passion for patient care, commitment to service, solution-oriented abilities and evidence-based practice.