Caring for preemies a labor of love

By Laura Raines

For ajcjobs

Dee Anna Bowbliss had never been in a neonatal intensive care unit until she was almost finished with nursing school. It was love at first sight.

Barry Williams, Special Dee Anna Bowbliss, 
Atlanta Medical Center

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“I’ve worked in the NICU now for 12 years, and it’s a privilege to be there,” said Bowbliss, a nurse at Atlanta Medical Center. She cares for micro preemies, babies born between 23 and 26 weeks and weighing less than 750 grams (1.5 pounds).

“These babies are so tiny, helpless, amazing and precious,” said Bowbliss, 35. “Helping them through the journey of those first few months is sometimes rough, but I love it. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Babies born three months early aren’t ready to breathe or eat on their own. Their brains are very fragile.

“You have to do a lot of interventions, but that can cause bleeding in the brain,” she said. “It’s a delicate balance.”

While caring for these fragile babies, she’s also supporting their parents, helping them understand the medical processes, letting them voice their fears and encouraging them to bond with their infants.

“A lot of moms are afraid to touch their babies, but the baby needs their touch and to hear their voice. It’s so nice when moms see how they can make a difference,” Bowbliss said. “We try to have moms hold their babies as early as possible.”

Spending so much time with their tiny, vulnerable patients, it’s easy for NICU nurses to bond, as well. The unit is filled with reminders of past patients — photos sent by grateful parents, including ones of “Baby Joe” or “The Little Stinker,” as Bowbliss called him.

Born three months early, “Baby Joe” fought through many setbacks before he was finally discharged to go home. About a month later, his mother called to say that the child was in critical condition at a children’s hospital.

“He couldn’t breathe and had some bleeding on the brain. He had received ECMO [extracorporeal membrane oxygenation], surgery and a tracheotomy, but wasn’t expected to live,” she said.

Bowbliss made time to visit the boy and his mother often during the months he fought hard to survive. Today, “Baby Joe” is home and he’s a handful. Bowbliss proudly shows photos of his first birthday party.

“The most rewarding part of this job is seeing our patients reach those growth milestones we look for, seeing them get chubbier, take a bottle and go home with their families,” Bowbliss said.

Bowbliss’ supervisor, Sherry White, cited her extraordinary commitment and caring.

“As long as we have nurses like Dee Anna Bowbliss, the heart of nursing remains alive and well,” she wrote in her nomination.