A neonatal critical care nurse’s story

In the almost 40 years Rosie Warr has worked as a nurse, more than half of her Christmas Days have been spent at work looking after the little lives of those too young to look after themselves.

The critical care nurse and midwife will co-ordinate the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Flinders Medical Centre on Christmas Day.

Putting aside visits from Santa, Christmas decorations and corridors filled with visiting children, each Christmas Day she has worked holds a very special place in Ms Warr’s heart.

“You have to remember that for all of our babies and their families, this is their first Christmas,” Ms Warr said.

She begins to smile as she describes the activities which unravel on the ward as Christmas Day begins.

Babies are dressed in Christmas outfits or covered with festively decorated quilts and nurses create Christmas cards with the footprints of each baby stamped inside.

“Father Christmas comes, and that is chaos because the siblings and all of the brothers and sisters of the babies come in,” Ms Warr said.

Image Credit -Premature baby Jaxon Beimans in his Christmas outfit and blanket.(ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)

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