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By Mandy Haggerson

For the Clemmons Courier

Diane Laudy recalls looking up to her mother’s nursing profession from an early age. Learning how her mom helped care for people made a meaningful impression on her. Laudy worked hard while attending Catholic school where she lived in Akron, Ohio.

“Both of my parents worked so that I could have that opportunity for which I was very grateful,” said Laudy. “It was the same high school that LeBron James went to, so aside from academics they also had a strong athletic program which made it fun to watch a variety of sports because they heavily recruited kids.”

When Laudy went to college at the University of Akron, she received her bachelor of science in nursing from the four-year program.

“Although when I graduated there was a hiring freeze for nurses, I was still able to find a job because I had worked during high school as a nursing assistant in a nursing home and hospital. Fortunately, that previous experience helped me secure a job in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a local hospital,” said Laudy.

Laudy also married right out of college after dating for two years.

“While I had always thought that Akron would be home, we moved to Clemmons in 1989 after my daughter Jennifer, who was four at the time, and Lauren, who was two, was born. My husband had a printing business that he had sold and was helping run for several years, so we assumed we would head back to Akron after that contract expired,” reveals Laudy.

Despite experiencing a tornado that went through her neighborhood taking down 32 trees in their yard, Laudy immediately loved Clemmons and the idea of moving home became increasingly distant.

“We realized pretty quickly how great this community was living across from West Forsyth in a neighborhood filled with kids. The girls started school at Today’s Child Preschool. I started working as a floater at then Forsyth Hospital. I would go in for six hours a day and had flexible hours. They allowed me to float in critical care for 12 years while they were growing up. It was nice because I always felt appreciated and still was able to take care of my daughters,” said Laudy. 

During that time, Laudy recalls her children loving school from the moment they started at Southwest Elementary.

“What was nice was that even though I worked as a nurse, there were still opportunities to help and volunteer at Southwest too. I noticed they didn’t have a nurse at Southwest everyday like they did at my school growing up,” said Laudy.

Called to action, Laudy immediately organized a health room that would allow the students access to care and nurses.

“I bought furniture and stocked supplies regularly so that they had what they needed to care for the students,” said Laudy, who also organized a crew of nurses to be on hand when needed each day. “I was grateful to receive the volunteer of the year award twice for those efforts.” 

While watching her daughters flourish in school, Laudy also helped volunteer in other areas whether she was a Girl Scout troop leader for 12 years or a grade parent in the classroom. Because Laudy always had a knack for getting things done, her then husband also recruited her to help with a business he was trying to grow and start up.

“I left the nursing field for about eight years to help run and grow that business before getting back to nursing when we sold it,” said Laudy. “I of course missed helping people during that time.” 

In 2009, Laudy took the nursing refresher course and revived her nursing career at Baptist Hospital. Currently in the ICU, Laudy has relished coming back despite having worked during COVID-19.

“It was definitely the hardest time in my career. I knew I was there for a reason, especially during those difficult days,” said Laudy. 

Loving her job and doing it well was passed down to her daughters too.

“My oldest daughter went to N.C. State University and lived and worked in textiles in New York City for 7 years before heading back home to Raleigh to work and raise her children, Dylan (11) and Astoria (who will be 10 in August). My youngest daughter decided to follow a path in nursing too after attending the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She is a mom to Desmond (13) and Raelyn (7) and lives here in Clemmons too. Lauren has worked at Baptist in the cardiology department, and now is a nurse educator there on the cardiology floor,” said Laudy. 

With three generations of nurses helping others, Laudy encourages others to consider it.

“I also have two cousins and one niece that is a nurse. It’s a wonderful profession that cares for people. Although it has changed a lot since I have started, the core reason I began and still enjoy what I do is the people. I love taking care of the whole patient, and critical care allows me to do just that,” said Laudy. “I still work 12-hour shifts three times a week, and I can even add more to my schedule if I’m able to do so.” 

With grown children and now grandchildren and visiting her 91-year-old mother in Akron, Laudy stays busy. If she’s not at work, she likes to also lead by example with her mission work.

“I went to Rwanda in 2024 and I’m already excited to go back in 2026. It was such a rewarding experience,” said Laudy, who always finds a way to care for others.