How to Bring TeleNICU Care to a Labor and Delivery Department

PerfectServe’s sixth annual Nurses of Note awards program honors exceptional nurses who demonstrate outstanding dedication and devotion to their field. Chosen from a large pool of nominees, these individuals regularly go above and beyond the call of duty, making a meaningful impact on their patients, colleagues, and communities every day. 

This year, grand prize winners were chosen in four categories, with a specific focus on recognizing nurse leaders. These are their stories.

The Director of Labor and Delivery (Clarksville, AR) – Brianna Watkins, Excellence in Patient-Centered Care Award

Brianna Watkins, BSN, RN, who goes by Bri, never expected to be recognized for simply doing what she believed was right. 

As Director of Labor and Delivery at Johnson Regional Medical Center (JRMC), she spends her days leading a small team in a 12-bed NICU at a rural community hospital. She and her teammates wear many hats, providing prenatal and delivery care to a community with limited resources. 

Keeping Rural Families Together

Though JRMC has a Level 1 nursery, a fair number of Bri’s newborn patients are considered premature. The closest hospital that can provide more intensive neonatal care is Arkansas Children’s in Little Rock, which has a Level 4 NICU and is nearly two hours away. Before 2025, any tiny patients with more advanced care needs born at JRMC had to be sent, sometimes on their own, to Little Rock for emergency care.  

For some families in the Clarksville community, a long drive to a larger hospital could create impossible challenges, including transportation issues, missed appointments, time away from work, and time away from their newborns during the moments that mattered most.  

But thanks to Bri, that’s no longer the case.

How the Nursery Alliance Program Changed Newborn Care at Johnson Regiona

At a conference early last year, Bri stopped by the Arkansas Children’s booth and ended up discussing their use of TeleNICU carts. The idea of bringing TeleNICU capabilities to her hospital immediately piqued Bri’s interest, because it would give her team immediate access to neonatologists and other experts that could assess newborns in real time. 

“I jumped all over this opportunity,” Bri said. “Anything I can do to help not only my community, but also my nurses.” 

In March, after nearly a year of certification work by Bri and her team, JRMC held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate their status as the seventh Nursery Alliance partner in the state of Arkansas. This program gives JRMC 24/7 access to the TeleNICU cart, which allows Bri and her team to connect virtually with neonatologists at Arkansas Children’s to evaluate patients and discuss care recommendations. As a result, more babies receive advanced care and supervision at JRMC and can stay home with their families.  

In the few months since JRMC joined the alliance, there have already been four babies born at the hospital who required more critical care. Before, all four likely would’ve been transferred to Little Rock. Thanks to the TeleNICU cart, Bri has been able to keep three of them at JRMC.

“It’s an indescribable feeling, if I’m being honest,” Bri said. “Just allowing these babies to stay here means so much because we do have that patient population who aren’t able to travel long distances. That’s also very hard. ‘My baby is having to go by itself an hour and a half away.’ I couldn’t imagine going home empty-handed.” 

The partnership goes beyond the Nursery Alliance program. Through Bri’s continued work, Arkansas Children’s also provides expanded education to the nursing team at Johnson Regional. They share updated protocols, provide support and resources, and ensure her team has the support they didn’t have before. They even paid for one of her nurses to become a Certified Lactation Counselor.

“They do a lot of training and conferences, and they will come here and do case studies with us and improve our [base of nursing knowledge],” Bri said. “They’re helping me update a lot of my protocols and get them up to date. It’s been amazing. They’ve been so awesome to work with.”

Leading Change Through Patient Advocacy

As impactful as the program has been, it wasn’t without a lot of behind-the-scenes advocacy. It took a year of fighting for her belief in the program, working with legal teams at both hospitals, and standing up for a program she knew could make a real difference in the lives of her patients.  

And like many nurses, her humility shines through. Even now, when people praise her work, she still redirects the credit to her team. The nurses who stay late after their shifts end, who never hesitate to step up during emergencies, and who treat every patient like family. 

“I wouldn’t be able to do it without my team, my girls,” she said. “None of this would be possible without them. I have a wonderful team who are always willing to step up to the plate when we need it and our patients need them. They are truly here, and they are truly patient advocates, and I could not ask for a better team of girls to deliver these babies.” 

Bri hopes her passion and dedication inspire other nurses to stand up for what they know is right and to advocate for better workflows, better technology, and better support. From this experience, she’s learned even more about what it means to be a true leader.  

“If you stand up for what’s right,” she says, “a lot of times people will listen to you.” 

For Bri, this project was never about recognition. It was about advocacy, persistence, and caring enough to keep pushing for something better. And because she did, families—and babies—now have a better chance to enjoy the comfort at home without sacrificing anything in quality of care. 

Thank You

Bri, your passion for nursing and dedication to your team and patients are clear to everyone around you. Nurse leaders like you are what truly make a difference in the lives of patients. Your resilience, perseverance, and advocacy elevate the entire care experience at JRMC, and we’re honored to highlight your efforts. Congratulations to deserving 2026 Nurse of Note!