Aurora names Nurse of the Year honorees at its four medical centers

Heather Graves

Staff

April 7, 2025

NORTHEAST WISCONSIN – Four registered nurses (RN) at Aurora’s four medical centers throughout Northeast Wisconsin were recently named Nurse of the Year honorees for their work. 

Jane Dus – senior vice president, chief nursing officer of Advocate Health-Midwest Region (which Aurora is a part of) – said each nurse was nominated and selected by their peers.

Selections, Dus said, were based on the health system’s core nursing values, their commitment to high-quality care and achieving exemplary outcomes in alignment with our nursing practice standards.

“It is a true honor to witness the remarkable impact (these nurses) make in transforming lives through innovative and compassionate care every day,” she said.

This year’s Northeast Wisconsin honorees include: 

• Rachel Kausak – Aurora BayCare Medical Center
• Casey Bruning – Aurora Medical Center-Bay Area
• Hannah Pfeffer – Aurora Medical Center-Manitowoc County
• Amber Zak – Aurora Medical Center-Oshkosh

Though each honoree was recognized for their own unique reason, each said they couldn’t imagine doing anything else with their lives.

Rachel Kausak

Kausak is a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay.

Growing up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Kausak said a career in the medical field was always part of the plan.

“I always wanted to help people, and nursing offered a lot of variety,” she said. “You have so many avenues to grow and that was a big part for me. I like to be busy, and with nursing, you wear quite a few hats.”

Enrolling in a health occupations course in high school, Kausak said she received her certified nursing assistant (CNA) certification in her junior year of high school.

“I worked as a CNA at a nursing home for four years until I finished schooling for my licensed practical nurse (LPN) license,” she said.

After receiving her LPN license, Kausak said she continued to work at the nursing home and also worked in a women’s health clinic.

“I continued working with my LPN until I finished schooling for my registered nurse bachelor’s degree and joined Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee as a medical-surgical nurse in 2015,” she said. “I then moved up to Aurora BayCare Medical Center (Green Bay) to work in the ICU in 2018, where I have been ever since.”

Kausak said one of the aspects of her role as an RN she enjoys the most is the growth she sees in her patients.

“Watching my patients improve or do something one day they were not able to do the day before makes my day,” she said. “Seeing the improvements shows that the steps we take as a care team are making a difference, and that is something I truly love. Growth within the unit, as well as within myself, is a big part of the job. Every day, I can learn something new, which is fun, as nursing is quite fluid and it’s always changing.”

The intensive care unit sees “very sick patients,” Kausak said, which can be challenging at times.

“Some patients may have different outcomes, and it can be difficult to see how sick some patients are,” she said. “(So), it makes it even more rewarding to see the improvements patients make from day to day.”

Kausak said she found out she was selected as Aurora BayCare Medical Center’s Nurse of the Year honoree at the celebration for it.

“They called my name, and then my kids came out,” she said. “It is an honor (to have been chosen). It shows that the work we do matters, and the recognition is nice. It proves I chose the right line of work.”

Kausak said recognitions like Aurora’s Nurse of the Year awards are important because it’s “always great to be recognized for the work that you do.”

“Recognition can come in many different forms,” she said. “Each and every nurse makes a difference in each patient’s life, no matter how small the task they did might seem. It’s empowering when we are told we are doing a good job. It contributes to morale and job satisfaction.”

To others thinking of pursuing a career in nursing, Kausak said “always continue to ask questions.”

“You will never stop learning something new,” she said. “If you need a change of scenery, the good news is there are so many avenues to try. Always jump in and learn different ways from different nurses – you never know which way will stick with you.”

Casey Bruning

As an RN in the labor and delivery unit (OB) at Aurora Medical Center-Bay Area in Marinette, Bruning said every day is different.

Growing up in Carney, Michigan, Bruning earned a registered nurse degree at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College before continuing her education at Western Governors University, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

“I started in the OB department right out of nursing school and am still working in the same department now,” she said.

For as long as she can remember, Bruning said she’s wanted to be a nurse.

“I have always wanted to help people,” she said.

Working in labor and delivery, Bruning said, was a passion sparked during rotations.

“During nursing school, I did a rotation in the OB department, and I knew right away that I wanted to work in the OB department,” she said.

Being able to support and educate patients during a very difficult journey in their lives, Bruning said, is one of the things she loves most about her job.

“Working in OB is my passion,” she said. “I love being a part of patients’ birthing and postpartum experiences. I love the connections made with patients.”

Bruning said Aurora has several opportunities for staff members to become as involved as they would like in their unit.

“I am able to be a part of the unit council, professional governance and be the unit educator,” she said.

Though many challenges come with a career in nursing, Bruning said “with the right support system, you can overcome any challenges.”

“Your teammates are some of your biggest supporters,” she said. “My co-workers are always there for support. The teamwork the OB department does is absolutely amazing. You are never alone. For me, my husband is also one of my biggest cheerleaders in my career and life in general.”

Bruning said she found out she was selected as Aurora Medical Center-Bay Area’s Nurse of the Year honoree while on shift.

“I walked out of a patient room and my teammates and family were waiting for me with flowers and gifts,” she said. “It was so special to see my family there.”

Bruning said there are “so many deserving nurses,” so being selected as this year’s honoree “feels really special.”

“I think it’s important to highlight nurses for their work with recognition because it makes them feel appreciated and that their work matters,” she said.

Bruning said her advice for anyone thinking of pursuing a career in nursing is “jump into any new experience that you can.”

“You will always be learning new things throughout your whole career,” she said. “Always be willing to help out your coworkers and ask for help.”

Hannah Pfeffer

Pfeffer is an emergency department registered nurse and emergency preparedness coordinator for Aurora Medical Center-Manitowoc County.

“I have always been drawn toward fast-paced environments that require critical thinking, so naturally, emergency medicine was the best fit,” she said.

Before obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, Pfeffer said she worked as an advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT) in several healthcare settings – which she did for 15 years before deciding to become a nurse.

“I always wondered about what the next phase of care was for my patients after transporting them to the emergency department,” she said.

Pfeffer said the best aspect of her job is being able to help those in need.

“I have always had a passion for helping those in need,” she said. “I also enjoy working for Aurora, as they promote professional growth and development.”

One of the challenges she faces in her role as a nurse, Pfeffer said, is “adapting to evolving care needs in health care and beyond.”

Building upon that, Pfeffer said for those thinking of pursuing a career in nursing, “do your research and job shadow.”

“Nursing has endless opportunities,” she said.

Pfeffer said she found out she was selected as the Aurora Medical Center-Manitowoc County’s Nurse of the Year honoree from the hospital’s chief nursing officer.

“I was surprised while at work,” she said. “I dropped my two sons off at day care and went to work – a typical day. Then our chief nursing officer came down to discuss a project I am working on for emergency management and stated she wanted me to show her where our helicopter radio was in the emergency department. Once we came up to the doors to the emergency department, I saw my husband, sons and co-workers standing in the hallway with a banner that said my name on it. I was very surprised – that day will always be special to me.”

Pfeffer said highlighting the work nurses do through recognitions like the Nurse of the Year awards is important “because it helps acknowledge nurses who are doing great things and helps them feel like their work is being seen.”

“It makes me feel like all of the work I am doing is appreciated and noticed,” she said.

Amber Zak

Fox Valley-native Zak is a registered nurse in the Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic at Aurora Medical Center-Oshkosh.

She began her career in the medical field as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) before obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

“I first began working with the oncology population working inpatient as a CNA at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton in 2008 through graduation from nursing school in December 2011,” she said.

Before joining the team at Aurora Medical Center-Oshkosh in 2019, Zak said she worked as a registered nurse in the Fox Valley in in-patient medical surgical/oncology, outpatient medical oncology and hematology and in hospice care.

Zak said though she always saw herself as a nurse, her passion for cancer care and end-of-life nursing grew while working as a CNA at St. Elizabeth Hospital – “and I never really strayed from these specialties.”

“Even in nursing school, I felt a little strange wanting to work in cancer care and hospice when most of the other students were excited about intensive care, emergency medicine or labor and delivery,” she said.

But Zak said, for her, it was the path she felt called to follow.

“What I like most about being a nurse is that nursing has always felt like a calling,” she said. “I look at my career as a ministry that provides me with purpose and joy.”

The nursing profession, Zak said, combines basic care of another human with evolving science – which makes no two days the same.

“There is always new learning,” she said.

Zak said she appreciates the focus Aurora puts on supporting and celebrating professional development and growth. 

“Though there are many registered nurses within the organization, there are continual efforts made to celebrate individual teammate achievements,” she said.

As an RN in the Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic, Zak said it is her job to meet patients and their support people where they are in their journeys. 

“Nurses are tasked with assisting patients meet their needs by looking at the whole person and the support structure around them,” she said. “Life is challenging enough without the complexities that illness brings. I’m grateful for the multidisciplinary team we have to support our patients.”

Zak said she found out she had been selected as Aurora Medical Center-Oshkosh’s Nurse of the Year honoree in a routine daily department meeting.

“I noticed a large group of teammates from other departments coming down the hall, so I closed a bathroom door in anticipation that someone was about to be celebrated for something, but when I turned around, my family came from the other direction,” she said. “I was very surprised, and it was incredibly special.”

At first, Zak said she felt a little guilty to be named the Aurora Medical Center-Oshkosh’s Nurse of the Year “because that’s such an extraordinary title to give to an individual for the everyday work we are all doing together as a team.”

“My experience of being celebrated for my contributions to bettering nursing practice in our department and hospital has served as a reminder to continually strive to lift up each other and promote positivity,” she said.

These types of recognitions, Zak said, “support a culture of productivity and positivity.”

“Awards like Nurse of the Year require nominations to first be written in a gesture of gratitude,” she said. “I received this honor thanks to an incredibly kind, well-written nomination from a fellow nurse.”

For anyone thinking about pursuing a career in nursing, Zak said “find your niche.”

“We are all made differently and have different gifts to share,” she said. “If you find yourself dreading going to school/work, try something else. There is something for everyone in health care.”