Diane Pitts with daughter-in-law and NICU co-worker, Angela; son, Stephen; mother-in-law, Emma; and husband, Leonard.
Diane Pitts didn’t begin her nursing career in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). But once she took a leap of faith to become a NICU nurse, she found her professional home.
Her early career
Diane started at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Youngstown, working in the recovery room for 11 1/2 years. “My best friend kept telling me to come to the NICU. I said I could never start IVs, etc. on those little babies,” she recalled. “Then I went to the St. Elizabeth’s NICU – and I never looked back.”
Health care in the Mahoning Valley underwent many changes in the 2000s. Tod Children’s Hospital in Boardman closed in 2007, and the facility’s pediatric services were integrated into the new Akron Children’s Boardman campus in 2008. Akron Children’s took over St. Elizabeth’s NICU services in 2014, so Diane became an Akron Children’s employee. “When we were going through all the trials and tribulations in the Mahoning Valley of Tod closing and Akron Children’s taking over, my husband asked what I was going to do if I lost my job,” Diane recalled. “I told him I was going to have to retire early because NICU babies are my passion.”
The ups and downs of NICU nursing
Diane loves seeing sick and premature babies get well enough to go home. “My son is a high school teacher. One of his former students was a 1-pound, 8-ounce NICU baby I cared for. His mother remembered me from 15 years prior and told her son I took care of him,” she said. “It’s incredible to hear stories like that or meet families in the community who remember the care we provided for their babies.”
After decades in the NICU, Diane knows not every family gets a happy ending. “Those losses are so hard,” she said. “You do all you can – and you’re living it with the family – but not everything is in our hands.”
Diane has tackled everything from the bedside to clinical coordinator in the NICU. She enjoyed doing the schedule – she said it’s like a puzzle, and she enjoyed the challenge. She was instrumental in encouraging many RNs to become NICU-certified and forming a team to transport babies from other facilities to the Boardman NICU. “I called myself the cheerleader at the time because not many people really wanted to do it, but we got it up and running,” she said. “We all went together and got certified.”
Diane had a fun time at “The Lion King” with her recently retired co-worker, Diane Balog (left) and sister, Janet Toth (right).
A memorable day
One of Diane’s most interesting days occurred when the new NICU at St. Elizabeth’s in Boardman opened. “I set up a schedule to transfer our infants from downtown to Boardman in a safe and coordinated manner on that Monday,” she recalled. “The day before, we toured people through the new unit. My husband Leonard and grandchildren were with me. The phone rang, even though we weren’t open yet, and it was the emergency room. Someone dropped off a Safe Haven baby and left. The baby needed resuscitated and then transported to our unit downtown.
Diane and Lily take frequent walks together.
“Thank goodness Dr. Elena Rossi (now retired from Akron Children’s) was there with me. The infant was stabilized and later discharged from our step-down unit to an adoptive family. My grandchildren got to see our transport vehicle in action, and of course, were quite impressed!”
Changes and improvements
Diane is a proud nursing diploma graduate, the foundation for her 50-year nursing career. “I gave up my clinical coordinator duties after 25 years, instead of going back to school for my bachelor’s degree when I was in my 60s,” she shared. “I returned to providing care at the bedside and have loved it.”
Like any long-time employee, Diane has seen many improvements. “We used to do paper charting, and we had an open unit instead of private rooms,” she said. “As much as I like the private rooms today for the babies and their families, I think the younger nurses benefitted from watching the older nurses in the open unit.”
The medical care has also changed. “We use gentler ventilators now, and that has really helped our babies,” she said. “We’re always learning different techniques with developmental care – and these have all benefited our little, fragile ones.”
Diane’s first 50-year milestone and retirement plans
Before she reached 50 years in nursing, she attained a 50-year milestone in her personal life. Diane spent 50 years with Leonard. “We dated from our senior year in high school through my three years of nursing school,” she shared. “We got married the week after I graduated from nursing school. We didn’t make it to 50 years of marriage this year because he passed unexpectedly in 2021 at age 66. As a family, we will always love and miss him.”
Diane and Leonard spent 50 years together.
Diane cut back on her hours before Leonard passed away. She’s been working 16 hours a week and enjoys that schedule. While some people thought she would never fully retire, she plans to do so at the end of 2025. “I’m not tired of the work, but I just feel like it’s time,” she said. “We don’t know what’s around the corner. I just want to enjoy time with my children and grandchildren – and go on vacations and outings with my extended family and friends.”
Looking back on her 50-year nursing career, the time has flown by. “I turn 71 this month. I do water aerobics twice a week, walk my dog and try to watch what I eat. I don’t feel old and decrepit,” Diane quipped. “Nursing has been a great, great profession – and it doesn’t feel like it should be 50 years.”
Diane loves spending time with her grandkids, including Emma and Jordan.
