A D.C.-area nurse had an idea to change the way her hospital fed babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and her project just won her national recognition.

“It is a big deal, and it was shocking,” said Renee Bloom, who is an NICU RN Unit Supervisor at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital in Virginia.

Bloom, 61, has been a nurse since 1986 and has worked in various units throughout her career.

She was recently named one of five nurses nationally to be awarded with the Magnet Nurse of the Year Award . It honors nurses who excel in nursing practice and innovation.

“It’s the first Magnet Nurse of the Year that we have received at all of our Inovas,” Bloom said.

The project she was recognized for has been in the works for years.

Previously, NICUs fed babies every three hours and they found as th

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