Ms. Vaughn provides strategic leadership that aligns nursing practice with Nebraska Medicine’s broader goals, while fostering a collaborative, supportive environment for nurses and care teams. She played a key role in launching an innovation design unit in December 2024, a 17-room active patient care unit for testing advanced care models, AI-enhanced technology and facility design staffed by 40 inpatient providers. Her leadership has driven significant improvements in patient safety, including a 35% reduction in hospital-acquired infections and a 40% decrease in patient falls. Prior to being named CNO at Nebraska Medicine, Ms. Vaughn began as a nursing assistant before becoming a staff nurse, nurse manager, program manager and vice president of operations. Ms. Vaughn also serves on Nebraska Medicine’s board of directors. Throughout her 26-year journey within the Nebraska Medicine system, she has been able to learn, challenge herself and grow within the organization.
