CNRV’s Compassionate Inpatient Nurse Leader of the Year
Congratulations to Tara Croy, who was chosen as the 2026 CNRV Nurse Leader of the Year!! Tara is the Operations Manager for the CNRV Surgical Care Unit, and she received ten nominations. Here are a few of the outstanding comments that Tara received demonstrating her compassion and commitment:
“Tara is the best manager you could ask for! She consistently comes out on the floor assisting staff with patients, she helps problem solve each day, she listens to and cares for each employee and she genuinely loves her job. She has not only been committed to being SCU’s operational manager for several years, but she also helped transition pediatric patients and staff to SCU over the last year and has done an exceptional job. Tara is always on time, makes herself available to dayshift and nightshift staff, and is someone you can trust to take care of anything you ask her to. Tara goes above and beyond and truly shows Carilion values in her work each day.”
“Tara has supported her team through matrix and org chart changes that can produce anxiety and fear. She has supported them and led them through that time, as well as taking pediatric patients on their unit!! She is experienced and organized; she also supports her fellow OMs as they navigate their new leadership roles. She is a great mentor and leader.”
“Not only does Tara guide and lead our unit, but she also cares about each of us personally. She encourages us to be the best we can be in our career as a nurse and leads us in a positive manner with constructive criticism that helps us become the best we can be. I can say in the 36 years of my career as a nurse, she has been the most involved, dedicated and passionate leader that I have had as my leader. I (and our team) am very blessed!”
“I would like to nominate Tara as nurse leader of the year because she is truly the best. She is kind and compassionate to not only her staff and patients but to each and every person she comes into contact with. She is a true team leader; she does not hesitate to jump in to help with anything. Whether that is helping brainstorm solutions, quick to respond to a rapid or code with helpful insight, helping her aides reposition patients, even helping her nurses with med passes when they’re falling behind. She is very knowledgeable but if she doesn’t know she is diligent in finding the answer. She gives us grace but knows when to put us in our place, and she is sure to make us feel respected in those moments. Tara makes sure we are supported in every aspect, and I quite literally would not choose anybody else to be my manager. Love Tara so much!!”
“She is one of the best nursing leaders I have ever had. She works so hard for our unit and her peers. Everyone here loves working on our unit because of the environment and community that she has created for us. Safe, supportive and seen.”
