Pediatric nursing doesn’t often take center stage in the way physicians or breakthrough technologies do. But behind nearly every moment of care inside a hospital, nurses are the ones shaping the patient experience, guiding families through uncertainty and catching the subtle changes that can alter a child’s outcome.

In this episode of The Lead in Peds, Nathan Kuppermann, MD, MPH, speaks with Cicely “CC” Brooks, DNP-ENL, MSN, RN, NE-BC, FAB, chief nursing officer, and Christine Riley, NP, CPNP-AC, a nurse scientist focused on improving outcomes for critically ill infants, both of Children’s National Hospital.

Together, they explore the full scope of pediatric nursing, from leadership and workforce challenges to the deeply human connections that define care at the bedside. The conversation also highlights the growing role of nursing research, including work to better understand how stress impacts infants in intensive care and how that knowledge can be translated into better outcomes.

From advancing innovation and integrating new technologies like AI to rethinking how care is delivered, this episode offers a closer look at how nurses are supporting pediatric medicine and actively shaping its future.