Nurse.org Celebrated Our Award-Winning Nurses on the Reds Field—The Trip of a Lifetime!
Red Scrubs, Red Carpet: Celebrating Our Best of Nursing Award Winners with the Cincinnati Reds
What happens when you fly four powerhouse nurses into one city, set them up in a stunning six-bedroom house, and give them the red carpet treatment at a Major League Baseball game?
✨ Nurse magic. ✨
This June, Nurse.org made dreams come true as we brought together four of our 2025 Best of Nursing Award winners for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration in — of all places — Cincinnati, Ohio, home of the Cincinnati Reds.
But this wasn’t your average business trip. This was a heartfelt tribute, epic content collab, and next-level nurse appreciation moment all rolled into one.
Best of Nursing Award Winners
The "Best of Nursing" Awards are a Nurse.org annual initiative to recognize and celebrate dedication and excellence in the nursing industry in the U.S. We invited four of the winners to come with us to the Cincinnati Reds Nurse Night and Content Creator House in 2025!
- Best Nurse Content Creator: Travius Keandric @travius.keandric
- Best Nurse-Founded Business: Mel’s Crafty CoRNer @mels.crafty.corner
- Best Nurse Mentor: Brandy Pinkerton @nursementorbrandy and @travnurse101
- Best Nurse Wellness Advocate: Georgie Villareal @nurse.georgie
A House Full of Heart (and Ring Lights)
From the moment our honorees arrived, it was clear: this was going to be special. We welcomed our winners into a beautiful six-bedroom home—think HGTV meets Grey’s Anatomy break room energy. They didn’t just share space—they shared stories, laughs, tears, and enough iced coffee to hydrate an entire ICU team.
Whether they were filming content, swapping career advice, or cracking jokes about nursing school and night shift brain, the bond was instant. These nurses weren’t just award winners. They became friends, collaborators, and each other’s biggest cheerleaders.
Lights, Mic, Action: Podcast Takeover
Of course, no Nurse.org trip would be complete without handing our guests the mic (because duh, we know nurses always have something to say—and it’s usually powerful and hilarious).
We brought them to a professional podcast studio Timeless Studios to record two incredible episodes for our Nurse Converse podcast:
🎙️ Episode 1: “Finding Community & Support as a Nurse” (coming July 2025 to Nurse Converse podcast)
From burnout to breakthroughs, this episode dives into how these nurses found (and built!) the support systems that keep them going—even when staffing ratios and charting have us all feeling a little... vitals unstable.
🎙️ Episode 2: “What Winning the Best of Nursing Award Really Meant” (coming August 2025 to Nurse Converse podcast)
This one hits deep. The nurses talk about how being recognized by Nurse.org catapulted their careers, businesses, and social impact—proving that a little recognition can change everything.
A Big League Celebration
But the real showstopper?
These four incredible humans were honored ON THE FIELD at the Cincinnati Reds game.
Yep, we’re talking major league vibes. Fans cheered. Cameras flashed. Mascots danced (and yes, nurses absolutely floss better than mascots). Our winners strutted across the field like it was a runway in scrubs, soaking up the applause and gratitude that nurses so rarely get.
The Reds rolled out the red carpet—literally and figuratively—and it was nothing short of unforgettable.
Gifts, Gifts and More Gifts!
Huge thank you to the brands who gifted items to the nurses to have them looking stylish on the field and podcasting!
- Clove shoes: gifted the nurses two pairs of shoes and custom Reds jerseys!
- MDF Instruments: gifted the nurses engraved stethoscopes!
- Fabletics scrubs: gifted the nurses two sets of scrubs, a set of athletic apparel and belt bags!
- Barco scrubs: gifted the nurses a set of scrubs!
- Skechers shoes: gifted the nurses shoes!
A very special thank you to Melanie of melscraftycorner.com and recipient of Best Nurse Founded business 2025 for our special Nurse Night collab t-shirts!
Mentorship, Mascots, and a Whole Lot of Joy
In between honoring the heroes on the field and podcast hot takes, our nurses also had intimate moments of mentorship with Nurse.org’s Director of Marketing and Senior Vice President, who shared insights on leadership, branding, and navigating the next chapter of their nursing journeys.
Oh, and they also managed to sneak in some goofy photos with the Reds mascots, because if there’s one thing nurses know how to do, it’s mix serious impact with serious fun.
Nurse Testimonials
Brandy Pinkerton, Nurse Mentor of The Year 2025, @nursementorbrandy
"What meant the most to me at the Cincinnati Reds game wasn’t just the jerseys or the recognition, it was being seen as both a nurse and a creator. In this profession, we give so much of ourselves every single day, and it’s rare to be in a space that gives back. But this event did. It reminded me that our voices, our stories, and our ideas truly matter. Collaborating with Nurse.org and being surrounded by other like-minded nurses reignited something in me. That creative energy and sense of connection—it’s the kind of magic that sticks with you.
And being part of the Creator House? That just took it to another level. It wasn’t just about making content. It was about real connection. I got to live, create, and dream alongside other nurses who get it and who are just as passionate about storytelling, advocacy, and making an impact. We laughed, cried, and poured into each other in a way that doesn’t happen often in our day-to-day. That space allowed us to be both nurses and creative which is such a rare gift in this field. My heart is so full!"
Melanie Van Sistine, Nurse Founded Business of The Year (2025) and Nurse Entrepreneur of The Year (2023) @mels.crafty.corner
"What this trip with Nurse.org meant to me is honestly hard to put into words—but I’ll try!
For so long, I’ve been building and creating something from literally nothing with so much heart, often without validation or understanding from the people closest to me. I started Mel’s Crafty Corner as an outlet to escape all the negative that was surrounding me. It’s evolved into something I never imagined for myself or others. I still pinch myself and ask myself ‘how did I get here?! And that’s all thanks to Nurse.org !!
To be seen, supported, and uplifted not just as a nurse, but as a creator—that’s something I never knew how much I needed until I experienced it.
Being part of the Creator House felt like coming home to a version of myself I’ve been nurturing quietly for years. A place where creativity, passion, and purpose could finally breathe out loud.
Nurse.org gave me the space to be fully me—no judgment, no comparison, no shame; just love, respect, and genuine connection.That kind of freedom? It’s rare. And it’s healing!I’ve been handed my fair share of lemons in this life. But being in that space, surrounded by nurses who just get it—who see your heart and cheer for your voice—it felt like the most beautiful, unexpected lemonade stand I’ve ever been part of. 
I’m walking away from this experience with a heart full of gratitude, a mind bursting with ideas, and a soul that finally feels seen. Thank you, Nurse.org, for believing in me before the world fully caught on. I’ll never ever forget it. And I will never take it for granted!!"
This Was More Than a Trip. It Was a Movement
As nurses, we're so often told to "just keep going," to push through exhaustion, short staffing, and underappreciation. But this trip was a pause button on burnout and a spotlight on celebration.
It reminded us that when you uplift nurses, when you give them space to rest, connect, laugh, and be seen, incredible things happen. Friendships form. Ideas spark. Impact multiplies.
To our Best of Nursing Award winners: thank you for inspiring us. And to every nurse reading this, know that your hard work, your heart, and your hustle matter. This trip may be over—but the movement it sparked is just beginning.
⚾️ Nurse.org hosts Nurse Appreciation Nights with major league baseball, basketball, and hockey teams around the country! Find a Nurse Night near you here.
