Part one of a series introducing the passionate health care team behind our growing Level 4 NICU
In just a few months, our neonatal intensive care unit will be able to care for more babies than ever before. A new NICU space in the Children’s Tower will open in January 2026 and include 20 additional beds for premature and full-term infants with critical medical needs.
While our NICU has grown in scope and size, some things have remained constant over the years – including many of the exceptional professionals providing the care that’s helped thousands of infants grow, survive and thrive. In the first interview of a series introducing the committed clinicians of the CHoR NICU, Amy Potter, RN discusses how she became a NICU nurse and what’s inspired her along the way.
Q&A with veteran nurse of the NICU, Amy Potter
How long have you worked in the CHoR NICU?
I’ve worked in the CHoR NICU for 21 years.
Why have you stayed this long?
I love working with the NICU population. In the NICU, we don’t just care for the babies; we care for the whole family. It’s such an honor to support and educate parents on how to care for their babies through different stages of their stay. Watching them graduate from the NICU and head home as a family is so rewarding. I specifically love the NICU at CHoR for so many reasons. It’s unmatched in its interdisciplinary approach, teamwork and the multiple pediatric specialties available to help us provide our patients with the best care.
What made you choose this career and when did you know this was what you wanted to do?
I was working as an administrative assistant when I gave birth to my son. I had complications which required ICU care post-delivery. The nurses were amazing and worked hard to make something so scary a positive experience. They were creative in ways to make certain I was still able to spend time with my newborn son, and they took the best care of me. After that experience, I enrolled in nursing school because I wanted to be able to do that for others. It has been such a rewarding profession.
Is there a moment in your career that stands out to you as being extra special?
I would have to say it would be having the opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team to create the “small baby” program for our NICU. As the age of viability has lowered, we wanted to develop standardized care to ensure the best possible outcomes for babies born between 22-24 weeks gestation. We spent time researching care and outcomes while working to get the specialized equipment needed to care for these tiniest patients. Since the initiation of this program, we have seen improved outcomes for these babies. This has been a rewarding experience for our NICU team and life changing for these babies and their families.
What do you hope families in the NICU take away from their interactions with you?
As a transport nurse, I am frequently called to other hospitals to stabilize critically ill babies and bring them back to our NICU. This can be such a scary time for families not expecting their baby to be sick and then being separated from them so they can get the care they need. In these situations, I hope that I’m able to make a difficult situation a little easier by providing parents reassurance and comfort that we will provide the best, safest care for their baby.
What are you most looking forward to about the new NICU space in the Children’s Tower?
I am so excited to see the continued innovation and growth of CHoR and our NICU. I think this new space will expand our resources and further our ability to provide exemplary care to our current patients and those that require specialty care in our community.