Nurse, 79, works for the love of newborns

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Gentile continues to work at the hospital's neonatal special care unit.

By MARY ELLEN PELLEGRINI

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

STRUTHERS — Most of us believe that nothing is more precious than a newborn baby.

When that new arrival, however, faces an immediate battle because of premature birth or health problems, joy quickly turns to devastation. Mariam Gentile, a neonatal nurse with 45 years' experience, knows the heartache and challenges associated with these fragile babies.

The 79-year-old Struthers resident, known as "Honey" and who loves babies, was educated and spent her entire career at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown. She completed the hospital's three-year diploma program for registered nurses in 1948.

Since 1961, when a staff shortage took her from stay-at-home mom to full-time nurse, Gentile said, "I never stopped working." Although she retired in 1991, Gentile has continued to work the past 15 years on an on-call basis in both the hospital's neonatal special care unit and intermediate nursery.

Not surprisingly, her role in caring for thousands of infants has connected the nurse to families throughout the Mahoning Valley.

"I'll go places, and then I'll say, 'That was my baby,'" Gentile said with a laugh.

At an age when many of her peers are enjoying leisure pursuits, Gentile continues in a demanding field. Those under her care are all sick babies, some born at 25 weeks [40 weeks is full term] and others weighing 1 or 2 pounds at birth. The work often exacts an emotional toll.

"It's hard when you know a family really, really wanted that baby and it doesn't make it. It's just as hard to see a parent who doesn't care one way or another," she said.

Her duties

During her four- or eight-hour shifts, Gentile records vital signs and weights, tube feeds babies and oversees heart and breathing monitors.

"You have to be alert to every monitor and every noise," she noted. Most importantly, she added, "You have to care."

She reports for duty as many as three days a week.

"I almost always come out [when called] because I want to help as much as I can." She said surgery to place six 3-inch screws in her lower back slowed her down but didn't stop her.

Gentile did say there have been two-month stretches when she didn't work because few babies were in the special care unit.

Labor and delivery

Before her assignment to the unit and nursery, Gentile worked in labor and delivery for three years. After the second of her four children was born, Gentile took a 10-year hiatus from her profession.

During that time, she said, she used to dream of going back to nursing but didn't think it would ever happen. She credits her husband of 58 years, Pat, with encouraging her to return to work.

Throughout her tenure, Gentile has seen numerous changes in neonatal care, the biggest being technology.

In the early days of her career, struggling babies were placed in incubators.

"They were basically little white boxes that plugged in. They had nothing except heat," she said. As the baby's condition stabilized, nurses would manually pipe in oxygen.

The most challenging aspect of her early nursing career was just keeping the babies alive, Gentile said. She recalls a 9-ounce preemie who didn't survive "but I remember trying my hardest to see what I could do for that baby."

Today, medical capabilities "are like magic compared to before. We have wonderful success here in our unit," she said.

The introduction of isolettes, which replaced incubators, and various types of ventilators greatly enhanced a nurse's ability to treat the young, she said.

"A lot more babies today are not only surviving but doing well."

Her own grandchildren

Four of those success stories have an extra-special connection to Gentile. Two grandchildren and later two great-grandchildren were neonatal babies.

Seeing all her little charges blossom brings pride and satisfaction to the nurse.

"We get really attached to the babies," she said. "It makes us feel good to see these kids come back when they're growing up."

She attributes her longevity to her faith, patience, a sense of humor, great co-workers and love of the job. "If you don't love your job then you can't withstand the noises and stress," she added.

Although she could walk away and enjoy a well-deserved retirement, Gentile plans to continue "as long as possible."

Sunday, November 5, 2006