“It’s Magical for Me”: A Conversation with Nurse Ruth-Chama
Photo by Nadia Todres
This month, I met Ruth-Chama, a nurse at Heartline nearing her two-year anniversary at the Maternity Center. When I approached her, she was gracious: immediately making room in her busy schedule to talk with me about her background, her aspirations, and the profession she loves so much.
Chama grew up in Lapointe, a small town in Port-de-Paix, a commune in Haiti's North West department. She comes from a Christian family of six children, of which she is the fifth. Raised by parents who were very involved in the church, her mother was both an economist and a merchant, and her father was a dressmaker and pastor. After completing her classical studies in Port-de-Paix, Chama traveled to Port-au-Prince in 2014 to study medicine.
"Since I was a little girl, I was sensitive to the well-being of others. I didn't really ask myself any questions – becoming a nurse was the natural choice for me! I loved human contact and I wanted to make it my profession,” says Chama.
Following her nursing studies, Chama got her first job as a nurse in the pediatric department of Bernard Mevs Hospital in Port-au-Prince. She worked in the pediatric neurology department for several years, then as a home care nurse, before eventually joining Heartline.
Ruth-Chama at work. Photo by the author.
“At Heartline, it’s different.”
Noting the courage required to climb the career steps leading up to this point – and the time – she also reminisces on the differences in her various practices, from the professional roles a hospital assigns to the place of families as caregivers. But what she talks about most is being physically present with patients.
"Heartline Maternity Center is the home of pregnant women, newborns and new moms, and you get to be around them on a daily basis,” she says. “We get to know them. Sometimes they open up to us about their lives, sometimes we also meet their families. We know them well enough to know if it's a good day for them or not. In a hospital, the patients don't stay as long, the relationships aren't as well developed in general. At Heartline, it's different."
"I meet different patients every day," she continues. “No two days are alike! This job can be tough: the pace is frantic, you're often tired...but in spite of everything, because of its size, the Maternity Center offers a family atmosphere that supports us day after day. Within our teams, there is dynamism, real solidarity, and daily sharing of knowledge and experience. It's very motivating," she explains.
Belonging at the Maternity Center
Chama says that she has had several opportunities since her arrival to work in large hospitals, but that she is exactly where she wants to be. She points to Guerline, a fellow nurse, and then to Clinic Administrator Fredelyne, who have been part of her journey since she started at Heartline and to whom she wants to stay close to.
"When I first came to Heartline, I was doubting myself. I was surrounded by midwives and I thought they were very skilled and dedicated to their work. Me, I'm just a nurse. It made me doubt my skills. But Miss Guerline gave me back my confidence. She trained me. And Miss Fredelyne welcomed me with love. Today, I feel like a nurse-midwife like all the others. I will be forever grateful to them," says Chama.
Chama has a wealth of stories to tell about life at the MC. "I remember a pregnant woman who came here to give birth at Heartline. At first, everything was fine. We were with her throughout her pregnancy. But when it came time to deliver, she was in such unimaginable pain. When the little boy was delivered, he was like a stillborn child, not breathing well, crying. We spent so long giving him heart massages, crying with the mother – until the baby caught his breath. Then we all started crying again, but this time with joy," says Chama with a big smile on her face.
“I didn't know that I had this ability to relate to patients," she continues. “It's magical for me.”
About the Author
Aljany Narcius
Haitian journalist Aljany Narcius is currently pursuing a Master 2 in Media Management, online from France’s University of Lille. With ten years of experience in the fields of journalism and communication, Aljany is a linguist who uses the Creole language as her weapon in the fight against social inequalities, exploitation, and all kinds of violence.
