Celebrating 20 Years as a Neonatal Unit Registered Nurse
While juggling a phone interview, the storm outside takes hold of Nurse Leanne Vazey’s first day of annual leave this year.
Leanne also keeps one ear out for the oven alarm, carefully baking sourdough - her first attempt at making rye bread. 
As we chat on the phone about her 20 years of service, it becomes clear that nothing much phases Leanne, a Registered Nurse at the Whangārei Neonatal Unit, previously known as The Whangārei Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU).
For Leanne, the team of people she works with are the glue that keeps everything together.
“The people I work with are the reason I have stayed as long as I have, and the babies are really cute!” she laughs.
“It wouldn’t be the same without the team here. There is something different about them. They are so dedicated to this role and no questions are asked to support each other or ease each other's work loads.”
The Neonatal Nurses care for unwell or premature babies born in Te Tai Tokerau and greater than 32 weeks gestation.
“The shift begins with a handover, and we make a plan of care, then check equipment. After this, we are into the day (or night), and it depends on the babies’ needs how the day looks, but generally it changes all the time,” Leanne says.
Leanne’s favourite part of her role is seeing the babies progress to a well child and going home to their families.
“It can be scary for parents,” she says.
“We all presume that everything will go perfectly, and sometimes it doesn’t go how we picture. We see this especially with families who are transferred home from Auckland. They come to Whangārei Hospital excited to be out the other side, but they can underestimate the wait it still takes to get baby home.”
The neonatal period is the first month of life, but many infants may be sick months after they're born.
Over the last 20 years, Leanne says it is difficult to choose a highlight in her career when it comes to all the special babies, therefore it would have to be graduating from her Postgraduate Certificate a few years ago.
In 1993 Leanne graduated from nursing school and, 26 years later, embarked on more study. The differences were huge - from no computers to online assignments - so she was proud to stick it out and manage juggling work and study.
Neonatal nurses treat newborns and infants with a variety of problems they may experience in development, birth or shortly after. This can include birth defects, heart malformations, infection, surgical problems, or prematurity.
“One of the reasons I have stayed working in neonatal so long is the challenging cases of extreme prematurity or a critically unwell newborn. While they are scary to look after, they challenge us, which provides so much growth both professionally and personally. Especially with such a positive team around you.”
“By the time they do go home, we know them so well and it feels good having done right by them, seeing them head home safely together,” she adds.
Leanne is a Northland girl and loves the beaches.
“I used to say the climate was my favourite part of living in Whangārei, but definitely not today,” she laughs, as the wild weather continues and the oven timer buzzes - producing a perfect loaf of rye.
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