Cook Children's: Where women soar

Deborah Boudreaux cherishes her transport teddy, sporting a miniature replica of her former flight suit

Deborah cherishes her transport teddy, sporting a miniature replica of her former flight suit

“We all have a voice at the table. I’m proud to be a leader in an organization that truly values my opinion. I hope that one day I’ll be included in the long list of strong female leaders.”

– Deborah Boudreaux

We’re thrilled to announce that Newsweek recently named Cook Children’s one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women in 2024. One woman in particular who makes Cook Children’s such an amazing place to work is Deborah C. Boudreaux, MSN, RN, CCRN, C-NPT, LP, CMTE, vice president of Nursing and Patient Services.

These days, Deborah’s feet are firmly planted on the ground. But this hasn’t always been the case. As a former flight nurse for Cook Children’s Teddy Bear Transport, she spent much of her career caring for critically ill newborns from the back of an ambulance or flying in a plane or helicopter en route to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth.

In addition to her critical care nursing skills, Deborah had to understand engines, fuel burn and how tires were rotated on an ambulance. Not the conventional wisdom of a nurse — but essential for someone caring for patients while speeding through the highways and skyways of Texas and beyond.

“In nursing school, they don’t teach you how to do any of that,” said Deborah, and yet, she never heard the words “You can’t” from any of her leaders or mentors at Cook Children’s. “I don’t think there was ever a door closed to me,” she said. “We’re very lucky here at Cook Children’s. Having so many nurses in leadership allows other nurses to think, ‘Oh, yeah. I can do that.’”

Not only is Deborah the vice president of Nursing and Patient Services at Cook Children’s, but she also sits on the board of directors of Alliance for Children and is the Jewel Charity Ball 2025 chair. As a member of Jewel Charity since 2020, she fully understands the mechanics of its events and how fundraising directly impacts the patients at Cook Children’s — patients she’s built a career around for 37 years.

After hanging up her flight suit and handing over her helmet, Deborah’s office is no longer in the sky, but she’s still aiming for the stars as she leads, supports and mentors the upcoming generation of nursing superstars at Cook Children’s.