Meet Lindsay Spurgeon

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lindsay Spurgeon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lindsay, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

My purpose really emerged from a dynamic and evolving journey through my nursing career. It all started in Emergency and Trauma Nursing, which then led me to Pediatric Trauma. That experience shaped my core values and drove me toward a deeper calling.
My path of self-discovery continued as I transitioned to a Neonatal and Pediatric Transport Nurse. It was in that role that I discovered the perfect alignment of my skills, passions, and a critical need in the world. I realized that everything I had ever hoped for in my career could be achieved as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP).
I spontaneously changed my career path, shifting from a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program to an NNP program. I was driven by a clear vision, but I quickly discovered that NNP roles didn’t traditionally include transport. It wasn’t the norm. Still, I was determined to have both. I aligned my actions with my purpose, actively seeking and securing opportunities to continue doing what I loved: transport.
My purpose isn’t just about a job; it’s a testament to my core values. My love for caring for newborns and passion for EMS are the heart of my career, guiding me to roles where I could make the most significant impact. The shift to an NNP wasn’t just about a title—it was about fulfilling the deepest parts of my professional identity.
I found a clear direction. I was motivated not just by the clinical work, but by a powerful observation: most NNP colleagues preferred bedside care over the intense, specialized work of NICU transport. This insight, combined with multiple personally impactful experiences with patients, fueled a new calling. It was this realization, along with my desire to educate others (which was unfulfilled in my prior experience teaching undergraduate pediatric nursing), that highlighted a critical need for unique training to improve outcomes for these fragile patients.
I created a unique expression into the world. It’s what I have decided to do with my story. My love for education, my hands-on experience in transport, and my profound encounters with patients all converged into a single, powerful mission: the creation of NeoHERO Foundation™. This organization is the culmination of my diverse skills and passions, offering a tangible contribution to a world that desperately needs it. It’s the ultimate alignment of what I love, what I’m good at, and what the world needs—a seamless integration of my journey into a meaningful legacy. Life has a profound way of coming full circle.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

As a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, I serve multiple NICUs across the US and specialize in neonatal transport via ambulance, airplane, and helicopter at several Academic Medical Centers. In addition to my clinical work, I am the Founder and Executive Director of NeoHERO Foundation™, a South Carolina-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Our mission is to improve neonatal health by providing expert guidance, resources, equipment, and education to emergency responders. This is achieved through collaboration with first responders and their departments, providing them with education and certification of neonatal resuscitation through the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), as well as providing them with critical neonatal sized equipment. Most people do not know that currently in the state of South Carolina and worldwide it is not a requirement that EMS and fire be trained in neonatal resuscitation. Not only do our local governments not require, pay, or provide the training, they also do not provide the neonatal sized equipment for them to do so. NeoHERO is the first and only organization offering this expert training and guidance to first responders in the United States. We’re kicking off our first-ever NeoHERO™ of the Year campaign, a chance for ten remarkable individuals to compete, spread awareness, and raise critical funds. The person who raises the most money earns the title of “NeoHERO™ of the Year” and helps us save more babies’ lives. Competing candidates will receive our full support in fundraising, and the winner will be celebrated for an entire year.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Thinking back on my journey, I believe three qualities were most impactful: resilience, adaptability, and a deep sense of purpose.

Resilience has been critical. My career path wasn’t a straight line. I started in Emergency and Trauma, transitioned to Pediatric Trauma, and then to Neonatal Transport. Each step presented new challenges and required me to push through difficult situations, from high-stress clinical environments to the initial disappointment of realizing that the NNP role didn’t traditionally include transport. The ability to persevere and not give up on my vision was essential. For those starting out, my advice is to embrace every challenge as a learning opportunity. Don’t be afraid to fail, and when you do, get back up and learn from it.

Adaptability was also key. As I navigated different roles, from bedside nurse to transport provider to nurse practitioner, I had to constantly evolve my skills and knowledge. My shift from an FNP program to an NNP program is a perfect example of adapting my path to align with a deeper calling. The world of healthcare is always changing, and you must be willing to change with it. My advice is to be a lifelong learner. Seek out new certifications, training, and experiences. Don’t get comfortable; always look for ways to grow and expand your expertise.

Finally, a deep sense of purpose tied everything together. It was more than just a job; it was a mission. My purpose was born from a profound experience with a patient, which fueled my passion for neonatal transport and education. This purpose gave me the motivation to create NeoHERO Foundation™ and to face the unique challenges of building a nonprofit. For those early in their journey, my advice is to find your “why.” What truly moves you? What problem in the world do you want to solve? Once you identify that, let it guide your decisions and be the driving force behind everything you do.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

When I hear this question, it makes me think of coming back to neonatal transport as an NNP instead of an RN and how it made me realize the significant difference of our traditional roles. I had allowed some of my core nursing skills to weaken. I was forced to push through and work bedside as a two -person team in some of the most critical and emergent situations which required that I strengthen those skills again, making me a more well-rounded nurse practitioner. I could feel myself evolving, regaining appreciation for the skills I had allowed myself to forget when I advanced into the NNP role. Ultimately, it made me a better leader, a more efficient clinician, and a more desirable teammate.

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