fbpx
Donate Now

A Day in My Life: Sister Beza

Sister Beza has been a nurse at Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia for nineteen years. Letโ€™s take a look at what her typical day as a Head of Theater Nurse looks like.

Sr Beza 7 | Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation | Together we can eradicate obstetric fistula in Ethiopia.

The surgery schedule

I check the board for scheduled surgeries for the day. The name of the patient and the procedure, the surgeon and the scrub nurse is written there. If there is any emergency surgery I update the schedule. Today there are two fistula surgeries plus two other surgeries.

Sr Beza 5 | Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation | Together we can eradicate obstetric fistula in Ethiopia.

Welcoming visitors

When guests of patients pass through, I introduce myself and my job title. I tell them whatโ€™s going on inside the operating theater. I write their name in this book.

Sr Beza 4 | Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation | Together we can eradicate obstetric fistula in Ethiopia.

On-the-job training

Often, junior fistula surgeons and trainee Hamlin Midwives visit with me. They want to see everything and I check their names so they can see the performance of the surgery.

Sr Beza 3 | Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation | Together we can eradicate obstetric fistula in Ethiopia.

Fistula repair surgery

We have several operating theaters. We perform fistula surgery, prolapse surgery and cesarean sections. There is a newborn corner in cesarean theatre. Staff include surgeons, nurses, nurses aides, gynecologists, midwives, anaesthetists.

Sr Beza 2 | Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation | Together we can eradicate obstetric fistula in Ethiopia.

Taking a break

In this room we enjoy the coffee and the tea and we talk to each other here. . I love that smell [of coffee]. This is a social room. Sometimes we get rest.

Sr Beza | Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation | Together we can eradicate obstetric fistula in Ethiopia.

Remembering Catherine

There is a special room because of Dr. Hamlin's chair. I love it so much. I love to sit in her chair. Everything is the same. I worked with her in the operation theater for six years. Dr. Hamlin, she used these words:ย  My darling, honey and silly. I love these three words. I loved her.

BE CONNECTED

Sign up to our newsletter

Oxygen Works with any Contact Form Plugins...
All rights reserved 2024 Catherine Hamlin Foundation (R) (ABN58159647499)
Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation is fiscally sponsored by Myriad USA (formerly King Baudouin Foundation United States - KBFUS) (EIN582277856) and Myriad Canada (RCO769784893RR0001)

Photography credits to Cameron Bloom, Nigel Brennan, Mary F. Calvert, Kate Geraghty, Amber Hooper, Joni Kabana, Johannes Remling and Martha Tadesse.

Patient names have been changed to protect the identities of those we help.