Expected graduation is right around the corner in May of 2026!

I have had great mentors who made me the nurse I am today, and I hope to do the same for my two mentees I currently have.

• Obtain my MSN in Health Services Leadership and Management (HSLM) with an Education concentration

• Begin a national pediatric skin fellowship within my organization

• Create a pediatric skin national certification for pediatric WOCNs (wound, ostomy, and continence)

This recognition symbolizes more than individual achievement. It reflects the ability to influence at a system level by advocating for policy changes, embedding decision-support into workflows, and using data to drive safety and quality. It demonstrates how I lead with both authenticity and compassion.

She has published 354 peer-reviewed papers, 63 editorials, 24 book chapters and has co-edited five books.

Their passion, expertise, and commitment to patient care inspire me every day, and I feel so fortunate to lead and learn from such a talented group of professionals

I wrote a chapter on Wound Care and another on Ostomy/Gastrostomy Management. Currently working on the 2025 update for both chapters

Author(s) : Jayashree Ramasethu MBBS, DCH, MD, FAAP, Suna Seo MD, MSc, FAAP

ISBN/ISSN: 9781496394255

Publication Date: November 21, 2019

Organization: Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB)

I'm so proud of this one! My first certification- I think I'll keep renewing it forever.

Organization: Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nursing Certification Board (CWONCB)

Organization: Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB)

Organization: American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)

Organization: American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)

It’s hard to believe how quickly the time has flown. It feels like yesterday and a lifetime ago all at once.

I’m so grateful for the experiences, the patients, and the amazing colleagues who have made this journey so meaningful!

It was also extra special after presenting a Symposium Podium Presentation titled "Love the Skin You’re In: Pressure Injury Management" at the 2019 Sigma Theta Tau International Conference in Huston, TX

• It consisted of 3 podium sub-presentations:

  • Optimizing Skin Integrity: One Simple Change for Hospitalized Children

  • Creating Sustainability: A Nurse Led Skin Program

  • Better Together: Pressure Injury Prevalence and Nursing Professional Development

I've presented over 20 Nursing Research Posters (Posters & Podium Presentations) since 2016

We are in the data analysis phase for a nurse led research study called "Why Nurses Stay" as a co-Principle Investigator. This study investigates the factors that keep nurses within an organization for longer than 5 years in a post-COVID environment

• Welch, L., Ruiz, M., McLeese, R., Volchek, J., Hinds, P.

• Role: Principle Investigator

• 2022- present

• IRB ID: Study00000438

• Welch, L. 2024. Capturing the Credit: Elevating Pressure Injury Bundle Compliance through Unit-Led Quality Improvement,

  • CNH Research & Education Week, Poster Presentation, 2024 (Finalist, Category: Quality Improvement)

• Welch, L. 2024. The Turning Point: Improving Patient Positioning Practices in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

  • Symposium for Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Conference, Poster Presentation, 2024

  • CNH Research & Education Week, Poster Presentation, 2024

• Welch, L., Ruiz, M., McLeese, R., Liljestrand, A. 2024. Gamified Rounding: Improving Quality & Empowering Nurses

  • CNH Research & Education Week, Poster Presentation, 2024 (Finalist, Category: Quality Improvement)

This grant allowed me to hire a transcription service to convert our interview recordings into documents suitable for coding and analysis

• 795 Biostatistics: Gained deeper understanding of statistics and improved ability to interpret research articles.

• 790 Evidence-Based Practice: Developed skills in formulating PICO questions and conducting thorough literature searches.

Organization: Crisis Prevention Institute

A Primer on the Acute Management of Intravenous Extravasation Injuries for the Plastic Surgeon

Maly, Connor BS^*; Fan, Kenneth L. MD^†; Rogers, Gary F. MD, JD, MBA^‡; Mitchell, Benjamin BS^*; Amling, June MSN^‡,§; Johnson, Kara BSN^§; Welch, Laura BSN^§; Oh, Albert K. MD^‡; Chao, Jerry W. MD^‡,¶

Author Information

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Global Open 6(4):p e1743, April 2018. | DOI: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000001743

I helped contribute to writing our Magnet document, with several exemplars, graphs, and outcomes resulting from the work I lead with our Skin Team nurse champion group

I am committed to advancing my professional development, building on my experiences, and continually striving for excellence in my practice and leadership.

• 690 Managerial Health Finance: Developed skills in budget management and Excel-based financial modeling.

• 692 Health Services Administration: Applied SWOT and gap analyses and practiced writing business cases.

• 691 Organization Theories: Strengthened feedback skills and explored personal leadership style.

• 791 Instructional Strategies: Learned to write effective learning objectives.

• 794 Introduction to Nursing Faculty Role: Refined CV, and learned strategies for searching and applying for faculty positions.

• 787 Theoretical Foundations of Teaching and Learning: Applied educational theories to teaching practice.

• 782 Health Systems & Policy: Enhanced understanding of how nurses can influence health policy and governmental structures.

• 780 Health Promotion: Increased knowledge of population health and health outcomes improvement strategies.

• Welch, L. & Moore, K. 2023. Seeing Through the Pressure Injury: A Novel Organizational Review

  • CNH Research & Education Week, Poster Presentation, 2023 (Finalist, Category: Quality Improvement)

• Ruiz, M., Welch, L., McLeese, R., Liljestrand, A. 2023. Going to the Gemba: Utilizing Gamification to Enhance Nursing Sensitive Indicator (NSI) Knowledge

  • CNH Research & Education Week, Poster Presentation, 2023

• Welch, L. 2023. Implementing Skin Prevention Rounds

  • National Pressure Injury Advisory Pannel (NPAIP) Conference, Poster Presentation, 2023

  • CNH Research & Education Week, Poster Presentation, 2023

• Welch, L. 2023. Using Quality Improvement to Improve Wound Documentation

  • National Pressure Injury Advisory Pannel (NPAIP) Conference, Podium Presentation & Poster Presentation, 2023 (Winner, Category: Best Overall)

  • CNH Research & Education Week, Poster Presentation, 2023

• Senior Clinical Outcomes Coordinator, Skin Team Lead, Nursing Quality Department, Children’s National Hospital, 2022-present

• Professional Practice Specialist, 7East Medical Unit Children’s National Hospital, 2016 to 2022

• Interim Nursing Safety Coordinator, Nursing Quality Department, Children’s National Hospital, 2020

• Clinical Instructor, 7East Medical Unit, Children’s National Hospital, 2013-2016

• Home Infusion Nurse, Walgreens Home Infusion Services, 2013-2015

• Nursing Clinical Instructor, Georgetown University, 2013

• Shift Coordinator, Medical Care Unit, Children’s National Hospital, 2009-2013

• Staff Nurse, General Pediatrics Floor, Children’s National Hospital, 2006-2009

A 67-page competency document is currently under ANA review, an IRB study protocol is pending approval, and a peer-reviewed article will follow once outcomes are available.

I actually attended twice, first in 2016, and again in 2023, because I missed the opportunity to sit for boards within the five-year window after graduation. Going back the second time was humbling, but it also gave me a deeper appreciation for the field and allowed me to learn and grow even more from the experience.

You can read more about legacy mapping here if you want to try one yourself: Hinds, P. S., Britton, D. R., Coleman, L., Engh, E., Humbel, T. K., Keller, S., Kelly, K. P., Menard, J., Lee, M. A., Roberts-Turner, R., & Walczak, D. (2015). Creating a career legacy map to help assure meaningful work in nursing. Nursing Outlook, 63(2), 211–218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2014.08.002

‌