September 06, 2021

Tramaine Hobson: From Nurse-Family Partnership to Foundation Staff

Tramaine Hobson is a walking testimonial for the Nurse Family Partnership. She had such a positive experience with the nurse home visitor who counseled her through her first pregnancy, that she later decided to apply for and take a job with the organization.

“The program is phenomenal,” she says. “The nurse was very warm, informative and made sure I was okay.”

Hobson, a 37 year old who provides clerical support at NFP’s Chester, Pa., office, was referred to the program by a colleague. Hobson had a few reasons for caution. Four months before she became pregnant with her daughter, Zoey Nevaeh, she had an ectopic pregnancy. She also had lost a considerable amount of weight and was monitoring her blood pressure.

As a lead teacher at a daycare center, she had spent a lot of time around children and thought she knew quite a bit about raising them. Still, she wanted to know more about breast feeding, whether she needed to change her eating habits and what else was necessary to ensure a safe pregnancy and delivery.

After enrolling in NFP, a nurse was assigned to her who initially visited every week for the first month. The purpose of those visits was to get to know Hobson better, to evaluate her needs and answer any questions. Subsequently, the visits were scaled back to every other week until she delivered. After each visit, Hobson would share with her husband, Rashad, whatever information the nurse provided.

Although the delivery went smoothly, Zoey did not come quickly. In fact, labor lasted three days and finally the baby was taken by cesarean section. Hobson remained in the hospital another three days so that her doctor could monitor her blood pressure, which was somewhat elevated.

During labor, Hobson reached out to her nurse, Damika Nesbitt, for advice and comfort. Get the epidural, Nesbitt advised. When Zoey did emerge, she was a healthy 7 pounds 15 ounces. “The doctors were amazed at how alert she was, with her eyes wide open,” Hobson recalls.

Following delivery, Nesbitt came to Hobson’s house once a week for three weeks, then every other week. NFP will provide those visits until Zoey is 2 years old.

A couple of months after giving birth, Hobson interviewed for her position at NFP. Two months later, she assumed the position. “I wanted to change direction because I had been working with kids for several years,” she says. “I wanted an office job so that when I open my own day care center, I will have the administrative skills under my belt.”

Today, Hobson is fulfilling the role of an unofficial ambassador for NFP. Her advice to anyone considering enrollment? “Take heed and receive the information given to you,” she says. “You won’t regret it because it will be very helpful.”