From NICU mom to nurse, Laura Corbett brings a special connection to families
After 18 years of caring for babies and families in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Corbett’s compassion and personal experience inspired donors to honor her impact.
Laura Corbett, MSN, CCRN thought she was headed to a meeting with a nursing colleague.
Instead, she walked into a surprise.
Her nursing colleagues and other University of Iowa staff members were waiting to celebrate her. Outside Room 604 on Level 6 of University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital — part of the hospital’s neonatology intensive care unit (NICU) — her name had been added to the wall with the words: “In honor of Laura Corbett.”
“Pure shock. Completely overwhelmed. Speechless,” Corbett says. “I truly can’t find the words to explain how much this means to me.”
For Corbett, the NICU has never been just a place where she works.
She has spent 18 years as a nurse there, caring for babies and supporting families through some of the most uncertain moments of their lives. She also understands the NICU from another perspective: as a mother whose own family needed its care.
“My experience has given me a deeper appreciation for what families may be experiencing during their NICU journey,” Corbett says. “What may be routine for us may be one of the most significant moments of their lives.”
That perspective shapes how she approaches each patient room and cares for the whole family.
“Caring for a baby means also caring for the people who love them most,” she says.
Corbett described that connection shortly after the surprise.
“You look in their eyes. It might not be the same story, but you’ve walked in their shoes,” she says. “You almost feel it. And that connection truly makes a difference.”
An impression that lasted
That connection made an impression on Bill and Mary Swift during a tour of the NICU.
Bill, an Iowa native and 1965 University of Iowa graduate, reconnected with the university years after moving to Michigan. During one of the couple’s return trips to Iowa, seeing the Iowa Wave sparked their interest in learning more about Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
On a later visit, the Swifts joined a NICU tour led by Corbett.
Mary Swift still becomes emotional when she talks about it.
“Her story was so compelling to me,” she says. “At the end, I couldn’t even talk.”
Mary returned to Corbett at the end of the tour, hugged her, and tried to show her how deeply the experience had affected her.
For Bill Swift, Corbett’s sincerity stood out.
“She wasn’t talking from a script. She was talking from the heart,” he says.
Without Corbett, he says, the tour could have simply been about “rooms and concrete and beds.” Instead, “she really made it come alive.”
Mary says she had not made it 100 feet from the building before telling Bill she wanted to do something in Corbett’s honor.
“I don’t know what, even if it’s a bench, we’re going to do something,” she remembers saying.
That idea eventually became a gift naming Room 604 in Corbett’s honor.
Bill described Corbett as “inspirational.”
“A lot of people like that don’t even know it,” he says. “They’re just passionate about their job, and they don’t realize what an inspiration they can be for others.”
For Corbett, being included in the Swifts’ generosity carries special meaning.
“Having the opportunity to meet the Swift family was an honor in itself, but to be included in their generosity as we continue to grow and enhance our NICU is the greatest gift,” she says.
She also sees the recognition as a reflection of the nurses around her.
“This recognition reflects the dedication of all NICU nurses who pour their hearts and souls into caring for the tiniest patients and supporting families through some of the most difficult journeys of their lives,” Corbett says.
Creating space for families
Corbett’s recognition comes as the NICU continues to expand with spaces designed around the needs of babies and their families.
Larger rooms can be more comforting for families during an experience they never expected, Corbett says.
“Having these larger rooms allows families to find a little bit of normalcy during one of the hardest experiences of their lives,” she says. “The space allows families to hold and bond with their baby, provide developmental care, and enjoy simple moments together.”
Those details matter.
“From the music selected for each gestational age to the refrigerators in every room, every detail was thoughtfully considered by our multidisciplinary team to create a healing, supportive, and homelike environment for families and their babies,” Corbett says.
That focus on families connects back to what Corbett has learned from experiencing the NICU from both sides.
For years, she has given tours and explained what it means to the NICU team to see donor names throughout the space. Seeing her own name outside a patient room was something she never expected.
“To be able to see my name now on there, it’s so overwhelming,” Corbett says.
After 18 years caring for NICU babies and their families, she remains certain about where she belongs.
“Being in the NICU is a very special place,” Corbett says. “There’s no other place I’d rather be.”
