Tracy Ryan, a nurse at Jefferson Healthcare in Port Townsend, stands in front of one of the hospital’s maternity ward rooms. (Grace Deng/Washington State Standard)
While working in large, urban hospitals, Tracy Ryan has seen 25 to 30 babies delivered a day.
“I call those places baby factories. They provide incredible care — there’s incredible expertise because they do so much volume,” said Ryan.
“But I couldn’t tell you…I can’t tell you one family that I remember both the parents’ names and their baby’s name,” Ryan said. “I know that’s supposed to be one of the most intimate, fabulous events of your life, right? And I don’t remember any of those people.”
That’s a far cry from her current job at Jefferson Healthcare in Port Townsend, a rural hospital that delivered only 78 babies last year. Ryan started her job in May — but even though she’s been there for less than a year, she already feels like she’s caring for her neighbors.
“I know that kind of sounds cheesy, but in small communities, you are caring for your neighbors,” Ryan said. “You do see these people in the community. You do see them at dinner. I’ve seen people at the movie theater, for crying out loud, and it’s so fun. It feels like they’re part of your family. So I definitely love working in a place like this.”