News

How volunteering in Haiti helped a Dal Nursing Alumna discover new meaning in patient-care

As a cardiology nurse-practitioner, Jill Yates is used to routine, a sterile environment and access to a range of health professionals. Recently, though, all this was put to the test when she spent a week volunteering in Haiti.

Jill Yates (nee Power), a two-time Dalhousie nursing grad (BscN’91; MN-NP’05), became interested in the Be Like Brit Orphanage (BLB) when her daughter, Rebecca, urged her to give it a go. As Jill learned more about BLB – an organization set up by the family of American earthquake victim Britney Gengel – she knew this was something she wanted to be a part of. Jill and a friend decided to travel to Grand Goave, Haiti as medical “Britsionaries” – the BLB term that reflects the commitment of Brit Gengel to volunteerism. As the first Canadian “Britsionaries,” Jill and Judy Power raised $5,150 for the charity and spent a week this February volunteering in Haiti.

A country of contrasts

“Haiti is a country of contrasts,” said Jill. “It’s this beautiful country in the Caribbean and yet it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The people are so resilient, they just carry on despite the hardship they face.”

Jill spent her time in Haiti volunteering at both the BLB orphanage and the nearby Mission of Hope Clinic. “You really needed to keep an open mind and be prepared for anything. We are used to working in very controlled and specialized environments and that is not Haiti or any third world environment,” said Jill.

“It reminded me that we always need to look at things from the patient perspective. For example, in Haiti people don’t eat three meals a day, some don’t even eat every day so you need to factor that in. You need to adjust your expectations and practice to the situation of the patients.” This openness to adapt is something that Jill, who also serves as an adjunct nursing professor at Dalhousie University, plans to reinforce with her students.

It was also eye-opening for Jill to work in an environment entirely dependent on donations. “They have no medications and very little equipment - everything the clinic has is donated,” she explained. “You couldn’t easily refer someone to a doctor or send them for an echocardiogram, you just had to make do. Health education was a key part of our work.”

Back in Halifax now, Jill is already planning her next trip to Haiti. She is actively working with BLB to get it registered as a Canadian charity and is recruiting volunteers for a return trip to the orphanage next year.

“In Haiti, I saw humanity in a different light. I saw these people who have almost nothing and yet they gave so much. It takes so little for me to give back.”

For more information on BLB: http://belikebrit.org/
To hear more about Jill’s trip or to get involved: yatesgillian57@gmail.com