Inside Duke Medicine

Nurse’s commitment to service beyond the walls of DRAH

Lois Bockmann, registered nurse in the emergency department at Duke Raleigh Hospital, never knew that a single moment would change her entire life.

On January 12 in Cazeau, Haiti, which is about 10 miles south of Port Au Prince, Lois was working with her husband and a group of volunteers on a mission trip. She worked closely with the medical team as they treated nearly 250 people for many diseases and various medical problems.

After a long day, she boarded the bus head back to their base camp. Once they arrived, and the bus stopped, they felt an intense shaking and heard loud crashing sounds all around them. Lois and her team were in the middle of one of the most devastating natural disasters in history.

Immediately the volunteers rushed to the side of the property, and realized that the situation was extremely serious. Haitians were brought into the area with severe injuries and team members began assisting as many of them as they could. From searching for individuals in piles of rubble to treating fractures and wounds, the team worked hard to treat anyone that needed help.

“At one point, I went over to the supply area to get the equipment to start an IV, and I realized that I heard singing,” said Lois. “Over in the distant corner of the property, several Haitians were singing hymns in Creole. It was difficult to regain my composure upon my return to my next patient, as I was so humbled and in awe of the strength of these people who suffered so much.”

Lois’ group decided to leave Haiti because they had run out of medical supplies, and eventually food sources. In spite of her own needs, she was still concerned about the quality of care the Haitians would receive once they left.

“In the days and weeks that followed, we began the process of absorbing all that we had experienced,” said Lois “During our time in Haiti, we were so busy and sleep deprived, that there was really no time to reflect on what had just happened.”

Since Lois’ return, several Duke Raleigh Hospital physicians and nurses have traveled to Haiti to help with the relief efforts.

“The one thing I learned from this is that everyone has “earthquake experiences” in life, but when they happen, what are we learning from them,” said Lois. “This is a lesson for all of us to give back to our communities whether it is locally or abroad, because we never know when we may be in need of assistance.”