'I've seen a lot': Diane Cowan retires after 60 years helping nurse patients in Mansfield

Diane Cowan never dreamed so many things would change throughout her career.

"They're paying a lot more now than they used to," the 78-year-old said with a smile. "I made a dollar an hour when I started, but that was in 1964 and everything was cheaper then."

Cowan retired this spring from OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital after 60 years.

Her career has been the longest in OhioHealth history, according to Katie Lowe, the health system's public relations senior consultant.

"I've seen a lot," Cowan said. "I could probably write a book if I thought about all the changes that I've seen. That's a long time."

'I just wanted to help people because my grandmother had cancer'

Her story began on July 4, 1945, two months before the end of WWII.

She grew up on a farm in Georgia. Her dad worked in a steel mill. Her mom was a homemaker.

"We came to Mansfield when I was 12 years old," Cowan said. "When I first came here, it was all snow. That was unfamiliar. It took me a while to adjust."

She graduated from Mansfield Senior High School, then, in April of 1964, took a job at the hospital as an aide. Somehow, she said, working in the healthcare industry felt a little bit like a calling.

"I had two aunts in New York and they were both nurses, but I don't know if that had a great deal to do with it," Cowan said. "I think I just wanted to help people because my grandmother had cancer. I think it started from there."

She took classes and became a licensed practical nurse, then a registered nurse.

'It's nothing like it used to be'

Hospitals of the 1960s looked very different from today.

"It was hard work back in those days," Cowan said.

Patients used to stay in the hospital for so long that nurses would get to know them and their families. Now, only a few of the most severe cases have extended stays, and the rest are sent home. She estimates there were at least twice the number of patients back then.

"Some of it just seems unrealistic, you know?" Cowan said. "But times are changing."

In the 1960s, rooms were so full that the young nurse cared for patients who slept on hallway beds that were enclosed by a curtain.

"They had four people in one a huge room," Cowan said. "Now, most rooms are private. It's nothing like it used to be."

'They help people get better faster'

Patients have shorter stays than they did six decades ago because of medical advances.

"You have gallbladder or hip surgery and you go home the same day," Cowan said. "It used to be like 10 days or 12 days."

She remembers when cataract surgeries were extreme and delicate procedures.

"They had to put sandbags beside the heads because they couldn't move their heads," Cowan said.

Those cataract patients would lie, heads braced, for days in a dark room while their eyes healed.

"Now they go home the same day," Cowan said. "There's no more staying. Everything's changed."

Even new mothers used to stay in the hospitals for several days after giving birth.

"It's better," Cowan said. "They help people get better faster."

'It's been a rewarding career'

The career came with a lot of rewards over the years.

One of them was her friend, Beulah Proffitt, who has worked with Cowan for the past 37 years. OhioHealth recognized both women this spring for their extensive service.

"She's a hard worker," Cowan said. "Good person. Beautiful person."

Another perk came when OhioHealth took her a few other tenured employees on a shopping spree. The company picked them up in a limousine, took them to the mall, and gave them $15 for every year of service.

"The first time, I think I got like $800, or close to it," Cowan said. "The second time, I got a little bit over $800."

The best thing she received from her career, though, was a great company that allowed her to support her family.

She has two adult daughters — Fontaine Williams and LaToya Powers — that she raised with her their father, Charles Cowan.

The couple had divorced, but remained close friends until his death is 2012.

"He was always very supportive," Cowan said. "I miss him to this day. I do."

So far, one daughter and one granddaughter have both chosen to work in the healthcare industry.

"It's a rewarding career," Cowan said. "I’m trying to get my grandsons, and they said no."

She recruits for the field because she's noticing fewer people are going into the healthcare industry. She cares about people, and wants keep doing her part to make sure hospitals are always fully staffed.

"We need more nurses, especially guys," Cowan said. "We need more guys."

She plans to spend her retirement with friends and family, both at home and on vacation.

Even then, she will stop and think every now and then about the 60 years she spent helping countless thousands regain their health.

"I've enjoyed nursing," Cowan said. "It's been a rewarding career."

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: OhioHealth nurse retires after 60 years in the healthcare industry