Nancy Kraus
Excerpts from Her Homecoming 2017 Address
“I didn’t become a nurse to be an executive—even though I do that well,” said Nancy Kuehner Kraus (AS ’80, BS ’82) in her lecture to BYU College of Nursing students, friends, faculty, and alumni. “I became a nurse to relieve suffering, connect with people, and make a difference in individuals’ lives.”
In October 2017, Kraus received the university’s Alumni Achievement Award from the college for her contribution to nursing. As a nurse administrator, she is the executive director of critical care and the director of the clinical education magnet program for Children’s Hospital of Orange County, California.
“Whether being a 24/7 on-call nurse for neighbors and ward members with feverish babies or foolhardy teens, I have always enjoyed a personal mission and ministry of service to others in my community,” said Kraus. “But, considering my circle of influence and my nursing skills, I felt I needed to do more to lift others.”
Her decision led to spending a week in the Houston Astrodome in 2005, giving urgent care to Hurricane Katrina evacuees. After that experience, Kraus continued to look for volunteer opportunities. It took some time for her to find the right fit, but she made a connection with the nonprofit Operation Smile International.
“In many ways, for just the price of a soda, you can bless the lives of children in need,” stated Kraus. “To us, that same amount of money doesn’t offer much. But in these situations, it could be the difference between getting a bus ticket to travel several hours to stand in line hoping to be seen and considered for surgery or waiting another year for this charity to return to your country.”
Kraus has long looked to Mother Teresa as a hero. Like Florence Nightingale, this caring nun made an incredible difference in her part of the world. The day Kraus visited the resting place of Mother Teresa in Kolkata, the words “love seeks to serve” were spelled out in flower petals on the grave. That is a favorite phrase for Kraus, who considered it a tender mercy from the Lord for her service.
“When we are ready and willing, God finds a way to use us to bless others,” said Kraus. “For me, it has been with different faces in different places. But you will never falter if you see all individuals as the Savior sees them.”