By Kelsey Zuppan
A Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) training initiative has successfully launched in Haiti! From May 23-27, 2022, a collaborative week of training was held at Hôpital Adventiste d'Haïti (HAH). From May 23-24, seven nursing supervisors from HAH (including the Director of Nursing Miss Orphee Magdala) were trained as HBB Providers under the direction of HBB Master Trainer Kelsey Zuppan with English-French translation by Mr. Jerry Trobeck. On May 25 and 26, these 7 HBB Providers trained an additional 13 nurses at HAH to be HBB Providers (7 students on the 25th, 6 on the 26th). These trainings took place under the supervision of the HBB Master Trainer (with additional French-English translation by Mr. Jerry Torbeck as needed), with the 7 nursing supervisors rising to the level of HBB Trainers by the end of the week. In total, there are 20 new HBB Providers on the HAH campus with 7 of them achieving the level of HBB Trainer as well. All participants were presented with their certificates at the hospital staff gathering on May 27th.
Areas for neonatal resuscitation were assessed in the hospital and action plan/cleaning posters were mounted in these areas. Teaching flipcharts, provider guides, neonatalies, penguin suction devices, laminated testing supplies, and access to all course media/files were left in the care of Miss Orphee for future trainings and neonatal resuscitations.
The training was received well, there were excellent questions and discussions in class, and the supervisors demonstrated great interest and intent in holding future trainings. Moving forward they hope to hold at least 1 training a month until all nursing staff at the hospital have received HBB training (estimated 6 more classes). Ultimately, the Director of Nursing hopes to take this training to birth attendants in the remote countryside of Haiti as those are the settings in which she and many of the other nursing supervisors were born.
This training was a success thanks to the collaborative efforts and support of Perinatal Rescue Network, HAH Director of Nursing Miss Orphee Magdala, HAH Chief Financial Officer Jere Chrispens, HAH Clinical Educator Alumnus Annika Cleveland, and HBB Master Trainer Kelsey Zuppan. We praise God for the training that took place, that will continue to take place, and for all the babies these nurses will help!