30 Jun 2025 Arkansas Children’s Hospital names inaugural award for nurse’s service
By Colleen Holt
Sondra McNatt of North Little Rock has made a huge investment, not only in her 46-year career in nursing at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) but also in mentoring those young nurses who have come along beside her through the years.
Now, she has an award in her name that will encourage others to continue her goal of building up, one generation of nurses at a time.
On May 6, McNatt was surprised with the inaugural McNatt Spirit of Nursing Excellence Award as part of National Nurses Week. Lametria Wafford, director of nursing excellence at ACH, suggested creating the award in honor of McNatt, as her “dedication and involvement in the many nursing excellence programs and initiatives influence the profession of nursing.”
About a dozen coworkers — along with McNatt’s husband Glenn, son Gabe, daughter Jessica Brown and sister Sharie Williams — surprised her with the eponymous award. McNatt said she was “literally in shock” when she realized what was happening.
“During our education inservice, they had a 30-minute break, which they never do,” she said. Coming quickly back into the room, “I literally walked by my son and didn’t see him,” she laughed. When Wafford began reading about the award and its recipient, McNatt quickly caught on.
“Lametria made a phone call to my daughter to inform her of the surprise award. I was shocked and surprised. It was such an honor to receive it,” she said. “What was even more astounding, I was the inaugural winner of the now-named McNatt Spirit of Nursing Excellence Award.”
Her daughter said the family “couldn’t be prouder” of Sondra. “Our family — Nathan, Rylee, and Luke — alongside my father, Glenn, my brother Gabe, and his sons Levi and Oliver, are deeply honored and filled with pride as we celebrate our mom receiving the prestigious Spirit of Nursing Excellence Award,” Brown said. “To us, it comes as no surprise that the award has been renamed the McNatt Spirit of Nursing Excellence Award. For as long as we’ve been alive, our mom has exemplified what it means to live with excellence — putting her family first, giving sacrificially and leading with unwavering faith. … This award is not just a recognition of what she’s done, but a celebration of who she is.”
McNatt said her goal in building the next generation of nurses has always been based on impact — how you invest in others and how you invest in yourself. Coming up through the ranks herself, McNatt is now an RN IV, one of the highest designations in administrative nursing, and retirement is not on her radar.
“We either impact in a positive or negative way,” she said. “My goal is to guide others down the path of growth, development, compassion and excellence by teaching the skills and knowledge that will assist them to identify areas of current strengths and how to use them. [I also] assist with how to balance life’s bucket and have resilience.”
A storyteller at heart, McNatt uses real-life examples to help nursing residents learn to navigate difficult situations and conversations. Storytelling is one of her favorite things to do, especially when it comes to helping others learn to provide the best in patient care.
“I give examples of how to ensure a conversation is at the right time and place for all involved. Each person should be open to receive constructive feedback. We must give the other person time to process the situation and their own views,” she said.
While most effort in a hospital is rightly placed on caring for the patient, McNatt has truly invested in her nursing residents. Her leadership in a variety of areas at the hospital was particularly convincing when discussions were underway for creating the new award.
“When we look at each person as a valuable asset who has the power and means to impact nursing excellence, it builds their confidence to contribute to growth, knowledge, skills and expertise of self and others,” she explained. “Mentorship is shining a light in the mind of each person of what is possible when they use their gifts, talents, experience, perspective and unique thought processes. It is also important to assist the nurses with organizational connections when working to improve nursing care and patient outcomes.”
Among other areas of leadership, McNatt has been a Preceptor; co-lead of Core Council (the operational oversight council of shared decision-making); a Coordinating Council member; a Career Progression consult team member interviewing those seeking advancement; and, an RN Residency debriefer, never missing a Residency cohort since it began in 2017.
“It is important to ensure novice nurses and new nursing residents are seen and heard, and understand they bring a fresh outlook and new ideas to the organization. What they contribute to the organization, coupled with the rest of nursing and other disciplines, keeps Arkansas Children’s thriving and making a positive impact throughout the community, state and beyond,” she said.
Those just starting in their nursing careers are counted among McNatt’s favorites. “I love working with novice nurses, the new nurse residents, and being part of the nursing progression consult team,” she said. “The process is not just teaching how the career ladder documents are used and how to meet the expectations of each level, but to help them get connected in areas, projects, and leadership that align with their strengths, interests, gifts and talents.”
The love of her profession is strongly present in McNatt’s language and demeanor. “She is, without question, the most selfless person we know,” her daughter said. “A true reflection of the hands and feet of Jesus in everyday life, she lives with grace, compassion and kindness. Through her example, she gives our family a legacy of faith, humility and strength to look up to.
“I love what I do as a nurse in the operating room. I love being a part of the nursing resident program,” McNatt said. “Since the first cohort, I have had the privilege of teaching, influencing, mentoring and encouraging the new nurses. What a pleasure!”
