JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Working in an emergency room can be demanding, but Bethany “Bebe” Baker is determined to help others despite the challenges she has faced.
Baker is the only deaf registered nurse at HCA Florida Memorial Hospital and is one of only a few deaf nurses in the entire country, according to the hospital.
“I got bit by the bug,” Baker said through an interpreter. “I love the environment. I love the fast pace. I’m always on my feet.”
Baker, who has worked at the Jacksonville hospital for five years, graduated from Gallaudet University, a well-known institution for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
She began her healthcare career in Tennessee as a certified nursing assistant. She quickly fell in love with the adrenaline of working in an emergency room and went on to become a registered nurse.
But finding a job after graduation was not easy. Baker said she faced more than a dozen rejections.
“Honestly, I was angry,” she said. “I did everything right. I went to school, I got all the training, I passed the test the first time.”
Baker, however, did not give up. She eventually received an opportunity that she couldn’t pass up: Memorial Hospital.
“I literally thought I was dreaming,” she said. “I read the email like three or four times. I asked my partner, I said, ‘Hey, are they offering me a job or am I reading this wrong?’”
Baker works with an interpreter, Amy Bearl, who helps her communicate in the fast-paced emergency room.
Baker has created signs for medical terminology and maintains eye contact with her interpreter while working.
During CPR, for example, she relies on the interpreter to communicate how much time has passed, when it is time to switch with another person or whether medication is needed.
Baker said the positive feedback she receives far outweighs the negative.
“My favorite moment is going into a room and introducing myself and my interpreter, and the patient’s face just kind of lights up,” she said.
Baker said she has already heard from students seeking advice about careers in healthcare.
“You can do it,” she said. “Try, and I am here for you.”
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