Caring from the Beginning

The second oldest of five kids, Berna Yancey has always been a caregiver. After graduating from Arizona State University, she began her career at Good Samaritan Medical Center in the obstetrics/ postpartum unit. But her favorite part was taking the new mothers over to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to see their babies. So when Phoenix Children’s acquired the Good Samaritan NICU, Yancey made the transition. We sat down with her to find out how things have changed over the years.

What was the most difficult part of being a NICU nurse?

In the ’80s, as NICU nurse manager, I initiated and coordinated a grief support program called Angels Found patterned after the “Resolve Through Sharing” program. It was instrumental in helping families and staff deal with grief.

What has been the biggest change in nursing over the years?

The technology.

We were the first hospital in Arizona to get ECMO [extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, a form of life support]. It is a process that bypasses blood from the lungs to the oxygenating machine in order to rest the lungs while we treat the baby.