Maria Walker, BSN, RNC-NIC, is a Clinical Operations Leader and Clinical Nurse IV in the Wilmington, DE NICU, where she has provided compassionate, expert care since 2016. A 2011 graduate of DeSales University School of Nursing, Maria brings 14 years of diverse nursing experience across Mother/Baby, Medical ICU, and both Level III and Level IV NICUs.  

She is an active member of the National Association of Neonatal Nursing (NANN), serving on the Awards Selection Taskforce and as a Conference Ambassador. In 2024, she completed the Emerging Leaders Fellowship hosted by NANN and Synova, a testament to her commitment to professional growth and leadership.  

Maria was honored with the 2023 NICU Leadership Award, as selected by her peers, and was again nominated in 2024. In recognition of her contributions to NICU orientation, she was selected to give a podium presentation at the 2025 NANN Conference in Palm Springs, California, titled Increasing Support for NICU Preceptors.