Our Nurses
Our Pediatric Intensive Care Nurses are all Registered Nurses licensed by New York State. They participate in an extensive orientation process which enables them to provide excellent and effective critical care to sick and injured children. All nurses remain certified in BLS and PALS and receive on-going education throughout their tenure in the PICU. They are compassionate and seek to provide top notch patient- and family-centered care, as they recognize that a child's admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit can affect the entire family. In order to provide the highest-quality care, nurses are generally assigned to care for only one or two intensive care patients at a time. Nurses respond to your family's needs as well, providing support, answering questions, and keeping you up-to-date on your child's progress and treatment plans.
PICU Nurse Manager & Assistant Nurse Managers
The Nurse Manager and Assistant Nurse Managers provide oversight and leadership to the unit and are available to discuss your child’s needs, nursing care, and hospital services.
- Karen Gozzi, R.N., Nurse Manager
Karen Gozzi received her nursing degree from Nazareth College. She began her nursing career in the PICU, where she served as assistant nurse manager prior to transitioning to nurse manager.
- Shannon Hussar, R.N., Assistant Nurse Manager
Shannon Hussar received her nursing degree from the University of Rochester. She began her nursing career in the PICU.
- Marcia Kerr, R.N., Assistant Nurse Manager
Marcia Kerr received her undergraduate degree from SUNY Geneseo and her nursing degree from the University of Rochester after a career as a paramedic. She began her nursing career in the PICU.
- Natalie Lipshutz, R.N., Assistant Nurse Manager
Natalie Lipshutz received her undergraduate degree from SUNY Brockport and her nursing degree from the University of Rochester. She began her nursing career in the PICU. She has completed additional training as an ECMO specialist.
Nurse Educator/Clinical Nurse Leader
The Nurse Educator/Clinical Nurse Leader is a nurse with an advanced degree that is the administrator for the clinical development of staff and is a clinical expert.
- PICU: Tanisha Lewis, R.N.
Tanisha Lewis obtained her nursing degree and master’s degree in clinical nurse leadership from the University of Rochester. She worked as a staff nurse in the PICU for 10 years before transitioning into the Clinical Nurse Leader role.
Charge Nurses
Charge Nurses coordinate unit staffing, arrange patient assignments, and are able to help with any issues that may arise in the unit.
Registered Nurses (RNs)
Our nurses are highly valued for their skills and are often the first line communicators with regard to your child's care. All of our Pediatric Intensive Care Nurses are Registered Nurses (RNs) and are licensed by New York State. RNs have graduated from a college-level nursing program and have passed a national licensing exam.
Care Coordinators
A Care Coordinator is a nurse that assists in the complicated transfer of patients, including discharges, admissions, and transfers to the general care units.
Pediatric Transport Nurses
Pediatric transport nurses are RNs with advanced training. Transport nurses provide transportation for patients between hospitals and within the hospital for procedures, tests and surgery.
Clinical Resource Nurses (CRNs)
CRNs assist with the transfer of patients between pediatric units, and assist in the unit as needed.