Krishna Amin, DNP, CNL, RN
For Krishna Amin, leadership begins with investing in people. Throughout her nursing career, she has believed that supporting, mentoring, and empowering nurses is one of the most effective ways to improve patient care. From leading highly specialized critical care teams to advancing evidence-based practice and advocating for patients beyond the hospital walls, Krishna continues to demonstrate that compassionate leadership creates stronger teams and better outcomes. As a 2026 Illinois Nurses Foundation 40 Under 40 Awardee, she is helping shape the future of nursing through service, innovation, and mentorship.
Growing Through Every Opportunity
Krishna’s nursing journey began at Rush University Medical Center as a nursing assistant before becoming a new graduate nurse in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. As her experience grew, so did her leadership, serving as a charge nurse, preceptor, and committee chair in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit before transitioning into nursing leadership within the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit.
Working at the bedside throughout the COVID-19 pandemic became a defining chapter in her career. Witnessing both the resilience of critically ill neuroscience patients and the extraordinary dedication of the nurses caring for them inspired Krishna to pursue leadership, recognizing that she could create meaningful change not only for individual patients but also for the teams delivering their care.
Today, she serves as Unit Director of the 11W Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at Rush University Medical Center while also co-chairing the Nursing Operations Council, helping guide workforce strategy and operational decisions across the organization.
Investing in Nurses to Improve Patient Care
Krishna is passionate about creating environments where nurses feel supported, valued, and equipped to succeed. She believes that strong leadership removes barriers, promotes compassion, and creates opportunities for professional growth.
Since assuming her leadership role, Krishna has led initiatives that reduced staff turnover in the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit by 45 percent, helping build a more engaged and stable team within one of the hospital’s most demanding clinical environments. She has also supported evidence-based quality improvement projects focused on reducing delirium among patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage and lowering ventriculitis rates through improvements to external ventricular drain dressing protocols, empowering nurses to directly influence patient outcomes through innovation.
Leading with Compassion Beyond the Bedside
Krishna’s commitment to advocacy extends beyond the intensive care unit through her volunteer work with the Patient Advocate Foundation, where she helps individuals navigate the financial, insurance, and healthcare challenges that often accompany serious illness. Those experiences have broadened her understanding of the barriers many patients face and strengthened her commitment to providing compassionate, patient-centered care.
She brings that same perspective to mentoring nursing students, encouraging them to see nursing as a profession rooted not only in clinical excellence but also in leadership, advocacy, and human connection. Outside of work, Krishna enjoys traveling, often with her dog by her side, and continues to believe that the greatest investment a nurse leader can make is in the people who care for others every day.
The Illinois Nurses Foundation proudly recognizes Krishna Amin as a 2026 40 Under 40 Awardee for her dedication to nursing leadership, critical care, patient advocacy, and developing the next generation of nurse leaders. Through her commitment to empowering healthcare teams and advancing evidence-based practice, she continues to strengthen patient care and inspire excellence throughout the nursing profession.
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