Baton Rouge General Nurse Wins Prestigious Louisiana Nightingale Award

Baton Rouge, La. – Her reputation for compassion, dedication and leadership earned Meredith Cooper, BSN, RN, CCRN, the title of Clinical Practice Nurse of the Year at Saturday’s Louisiana State Nurses Association (LSNA) awards ceremony. Cooper, who works in the Intensive Care Unit at Baton Rouge General’s Bluebonnet campus, received the award at the LSNA’s annual Nightingale Awards banquet.

Cooper joined BRG as a Patient Care Assistant in 2010 and became a registered nurse the following year after graduating from Southeastern Louisiana University’s nursing school. She has since earned her Critical Care Registered Nurse certification. Around BRG, Cooper is well-known for her passion. Last year she was nominated for BRG’s internal Nurse of the Year award, in part because of her work in securing new devices for ICU patients. In 2017, Cooper applied for and received a grant that provided ICU patients with private music devices, improving their relaxation and quality of sleep while reducing their medication needs.

“Meredith has mastered both the art and science in the practice of nursing by providing the outstanding leadership and superior care that we strive to achieve every day,” said Monica Nijoka, Chief Nursing Officer at Baton Rouge General. “Her compassion for the profession of nursing speaks for itself. She is a person of integrity and honor, and her passion for nursing proves that the work is more than just a job – it’s a calling. She is an incredible asset to our patients and the Baton Rouge General, and it is an honor to see her recognized.”

Baton Rouge General has received an ‘A’ for patient safety from the Leapfrog Group six years in a row, more than any other local hospital, and was named first in Greater Baton Rouge for Overall Medical Care by CareChex for the last three consecutive years, and in the top 2% of hospitals nationwide for Overall Medical Care by CareChex in 2017.

Learn more about Baton Rouge General and its award winning services by visiting BRGeneral.org. To find a doctor, call 225-763-4500 or visit BRGPhysicians.com.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center
Baton Rouge General Medical Center is the area’s first community hospital with 588 licensed beds between two campuses. Baton Rouge General opened its doors in 1900, and has provided the Greater Baton Rouge community with high-quality healthcare for generations. An accredited teaching hospital since 1991, Baton Rouge General serves as a satellite campus of Tulane University School of Medicine, and offers other medical education programs, including a School of Nursing, School of Radiologic Technology, Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow us on Twitter at @BRGeneral.