Identical Twin Nurses – Dynamic, Exemplary, Warm and Responsible

Identical twins Kerline and Keren Geffrard are two exemplary, responsible nurse sisters making a name for themselves in the United States.

The Geffrard sisters graduated with honors last month from the master’s program at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Nursing. This is their second master’s degree. Their first was in public health in Sunrise, Florida. They plan to begin practicing soon and then pursue doctorates.

Keren is 5 minutes younger than her sister and a little more talkative. “We do everything together” she said. “We are like one person.”

Their determination to succeed comes from growing up as first-generation Haitian immigrants in a large family with six children. Keren and Kerline are the middle children, and their younger siblings are also twins.

One of the younger twins died from a brain aneurysm at age 13, when Kerline and Keren were in their second year of high school. Kerline said their younger sister went to hospital with blood in her ear but, because she could not speak and had a disability, could not explain what was wrong, and her condition was misdiagnosed.

“We had to grow up quickly.”

The older twins’ lives have always been divided between caring for their younger sibling with a disability and their education. They paid their school expenses and their sibling’s expenses through loans and their own earnings. Both work full time in healthcare.

Keren coordinates resources for adults with HIV/AIDS, working with the Broward Regional Health Planning Council in Florida, while Kerline works 12-hour night shifts several days a week as a health unit coordinator at Memorial Hospital in nearby Pembroke Pines.

Kerline said, “We always knew we wanted to be in the medical field”. In high school, they joined HOSA (health occupations school), a student program for future health professionals, and became interested in caring for children. During this time, they were in and out of hospitals with their sibling with a disability, speaking up on their behalf while translating nurses’ instructions for their parents, who did not speak English.

Kerline said, “We always noticed that the nurses did more than the doctors. They showed empathy and advocated for us a great deal”.

Their strong connection to nursing grew out of their caregiving roles in the family. Keren said, “You don’t see the patient as a task, and you advocate for your patient. I try every possible way in that process.”

“I felt bad that our parents could not get all the help they needed. Now we can help. It makes us happy to see that we can be people’s voice” she added.

The sisters, who tend to finish one another’s sentences, said they also helped each other through nursing school. Keren said, “We knew we could do this program”. “We didn’t know how hard it would be. We encourage each other by saying, ‘We’ve got this. We can do it. We’re both going to finish strong together.’”

Nevertheless, the Geffrard sisters said that caring for their younger sibling Moise and having no time for themselves was extremely stressful. As her sister took a moment to affectionately adjust her twin’s hair, Kerline said, “I was frustrated; my life wasn’t my own.”

“When I felt like giving up and was tired, I needed to tell someone. I wasn’t living for myself. She was the voice of reason, because Moise only has us.”

Keren agreed. “We have to be Moise’s voice and each other’s. This is not fair at all. I put myself in his place. I think about how he feels... No matter how tired we are, we will care for him. He relies only on us.”

She believes nurses should feel the same way about their patients.

As for being a nurse during the pandemic, Kerline said she saw the pressure on colleagues and others in the field who had COVID or had to come into contact with COVID patients. She saw the initial struggle for personal protective equipment. “There were times when we wore the same mask for 3 days... Sometimes nurses were laid off” she said, particularly older nurses who had been in the field for 30-40 years.

Kerline added that she believes nurses should raise their voices not only for patients but also for their own safety, and that they wished not to work under certain conditions.

“The pandemic won’t stop us. This is a challenge we are ready to overcome.”

The Geffrard sisters agreed that they wanted to work in either pediatrics or community health. However, they said they wanted a little more practical, face-to-face training. Graduating during the pandemic meant they had done virtual clinical placements. Kerline said, “We want to be competent at what we do”.

For Keren, the purpose of being a nurse is simple: she owes it to her younger sister’s memory. “She is the reason I chose nursing. I hope I can make her proud.” As her twin, Kerline shared this thought.