A comment by a grandmother she was caring for, ‘you’d make a great nurse one day,’ provided Ilyse Richman the confidence to pursue a career she has excelled in for nearly 30 years.

Richman has always worked with NICU patients, whether at the bedside, as a nurse manager, or in her current role as a quality data specialist at the children’s hospital. “I was hooked on NICU after doing a clinical rotation at Yale. Then when my oldest son was born with an abdominal defect, it provided new perspective I could bring to the parents of my patients.”

Today Richman’s focus is on improving quality and safety through staff engagement and the implementation of evidence-based best practices. She leads several committees with NICU staff that review healthcare acquired conditions and has been known to sing her way through teaching videos, if that helps make the point. “I’m not afraid to make a fool of myself to engage and motivate our team,” she said.