NICU Nurse Accused of Breaking the Bones of Premature Black Babies. Then the Virginia Hospital Called Her Back Anyway: 'I Get It Now'

A former Virginia NICU nurse who faced accusations of injuring premature Black babies returned to the hospital after an earlier investigation failed to identify who was responsible.

TikTok creator Alexis Rose (@travelingnurse) revisited the case involving Erin Strotman, who later pleaded no contest to nine child abuse counts and received a three-year prison sentence.

Rose also reflected on how the case changed her perspective on criticism of the nursing profession.

"I used to get really defensive when people would say that nursing is the equivalent of cops for white ladies," Rose said in her TikTok video.

"But I get it now," Rose added.

Per wordinblack, the case first emerged in 2023, when several premature babies at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, suffered unexplained fractures.

One infant’s grandmother, a former NICU nurse, raised concerns about possible abuse.

Hospital officials could not identify the person responsible, and the initial investigation did not lead to an arrest. The hospital also stopped admitting infants to the unit as a precaution.

According to Rose, Strotman was placed on paid administrative leave after the earlier injuries but returned to work in September 2024. More babies suffered fractures later that year.

"You’re telling me you had a nurse that you knew was harming newborn, like, neonatal infants," Rose said.

"And you put her back on the floor?" Rose said.

Authorities had not linked Strotman to the injuries when she returned. Child Protective Services and Henrico police investigated the earlier cases but initially failed to determine who was responsible.

Rose also highlighted that the injured infants were Black, although authorities did not establish a racial motive for the abuse.

By January 2025, Strotman had been arrested and was being held at Henrico County Jail. Police reopened the 2023 and 2024 cases and reviewed hundreds of hours of surveillance footage.

Rose urged the affected families to seek accountability.

"I hope these families sue f------ everybody," she said.

"I hope you sue everybody," she added.

The case later advanced in court. According to People, Strotman faced nine child abuse counts involving premature infants at the hospital and pleaded no contest in January 2026.

Prosecutors said surveillance footage showed Strotman mishandling babies and causing injuries, including broken bones.

The Virginia Board of Nursing also accused her of using "excessive force," including applying heavy pressure to infants’ legs and abdomens and lifting them by their heads.

Strotman’s attorneys maintained that she never intended to harm the babies, arguing that her actions stemmed from techniques she learned while working in the NICU.

In June 2026, Strotman received a three-year prison sentence. Although the court imposed five years for each of the nine counts, totaling 45 years, all but three years were suspended.

Her nursing license was also revoked, permanently barring her from working in healthcare.

Per NBC News, HCA Virginia previously said it was "shocked and saddened" by developments in the investigation and emphasized its commitment to patient care and supporting affected employees.