about

Better, RN hosts Alyssa Saklak, BSN, RN, CMSRN, and Laurin Henderson​, MSN, RN, CMSRN, have been nurses at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for seven years, starting together right after nursing school. They bonded over their shared fear of the unknown and, along the way, discovered a shared passion for general medicine. Over the years, Laurin and Alyssa have grown together both personally and professionally, including taking on leadership positions and going back to school.

​Both believe that if you can be a nurse, you can do anything. Along with their share of laughs, tears and memories, they have a wide range of knowledge, skills and experiences. Now, they’re looking to make new memories while also making a difference with Better, RN.

meet the hosts

Alyssa Saklak, BSN, RN, CMSRN
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Alyssa completed her undergraduate studies at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, where she played college basketball and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She is currently earning both a Master of Public Health and a Master of Business Administration from Benedictine University. Moving forward, she hopes to use this expertise to help develop a broader view of healthcare assessments and solutions.

Alyssa is an active member and advocate of the LGBTQ Chapter of the Northwestern Medicine Champion Network, the network of employee resource groups at the organization. She aims to lead inclusivity by inspiring others to be their most authentic selves.

​Alyssa has helped advance several projects and initiatives with Northwestern Medicine, including the Difficult Intravenous Access (DIVA) Program. She applied for the 2022 Eleanor Wood-Prince Grant Initiative: A Project of The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital with the goal of developing a nursing-centric podcast. She received the grant, which serves as the primary source of funding for Better, RN.

Laurin Henderson, MSN, RN, CMSRN

Laurin completed her undergraduate studies at Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana, where she was involved in the National Student Nurses Association, Dance Marathon and other volunteer activities. Upon graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Laurin started working as a bedside nurse in general medicine and has stayed in this area ever since.

Throughout her time at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Laurin has held a number of different leadership roles and helped pilot initiatives, including the addition of social work resources to support patients during their care journey. She obtained her Master of Science in Nursing from Purdue University Northwest and hopes to further develop foundational leadership skills while supporting the growth and meeting the needs of nurses.

​Laurin anticipated a career in broadcast journalism, but discovered her love for health care. Better, RN is the full-circle moment where she gets to do both.