Employee Spotlight: Samantha Chavez, RN, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Samantha Chavez loves working with babies and young children. As a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Memorial Medical Center, she nurtures and helps babies get stronger, develop and grow. As a dance instructor, she leads and mentors young children as they learn new skills, gain confidence and grow.

Both are incredibly fulfilling and rewarding passions for Samantha – and the two do sometimes intersect. “I have a few kids in my dance classes who were NICU babies themselves,” she said. “It gives me hope and great pride to see them thriving.”

The Roswell native has worked at Memorial Medical Center for three years – the inspiration for her nursing specialty coming from a place close to her heart. “I was drawn to this because my youngest brother was a NICU baby. I am still so thankful to the nurses for taking great care of him,” she recalls.

Drawing from her own family’s personal NICU experience, Samantha says she is honored to be able to support parents and loved ones during a very stressful and often scary time inside the hospital. “The most rewarding part of being a NICU nurse is building a relationship with the babies and their families,” she said. “It’s always exciting to see babies get healthy and go home, especially when they’ve have been in the unit for several weeks.”

And while lives aren’t on the line, connecting with and lifting up her students is also at the foundation of Samantha’s core as a dance instructor. “The most rewarding part of being a dance instructor is building a strong relationship with the students and seeing them grow both in and out of the studio,” she said. “I love watching how excited the kids get when they learn a new skill and seeing them become more confident.”

Samantha developed her love for dance at a young age and laid a strong foundation in ballet, tap and jazz. She began assisting and teaching classes throughout high school and quickly discovered a love for working with young dancers. And while she enjoys all styles, pointe ballet has always held a special place in her heart. She currently teaches several classes at the Dance Connection in Las Cruces.

What else do her two professions and lifelong hobby have in common?

More than first meets the untrained eye, Samantha says. “Dancing and nursing are very similar because there is always something to learn and improve upon no matter how long you’ve been doing it. They both also require a lot of patience, focus, and attention to detail.”

And they both are changing the lives of the next generation.