Happy School Nurse Day!!!

May 8th is National School Nurse Day.  When I tell people, especially other medical personnel, that I am a school nurse I get one of two reactions:  those who tell me how easy it is to “hand out medicines and bandaids all day” and those who say “I don’t know how you do it”.   

For those of you who appreciate what we do as School Nurses, thank you.  For those of you who have no idea what we do I will try to explain.   Yes, the school nurse takes care of children when they fall and we bandage cuts and scrapes but we also are first responders to those who break a wrist, an arm, a leg, or have a concussion or head injury.  We care for those kids who burn themselves with acid in science class, get hand gel in their eyes (yes it does happen), eat a gel pen (call poison control) or cut themselves in shop class and need stitches.  We manage our diabetics, sometimes many of them at once (my kids will tell you I don’t like math-darn those carbs), pass meds, evaluate gym injuries, assess lung sounds and give breathing treatments to those kids who have Asthma (about 15% of my school population).   AND-we are organized enough to do all of these things at once!!  Don’t forget the IEP meetings, 504 plans and most of all the dreaded “Care Plan”…which we call IHP’s.  (I was never very fond of them in nursing school).  Sometimes a student crisis involves a plan on how to get to classes with a broken bone or other health concern that can be temporary but just as significant and traumatic for the child and their family-as a Mom, I know this.  Many times we are first to be called to calm a crying student or manage a student’s anxiety or stress.  As school nurses we are very closely involved with children so we deal with matters which most people don’t want to talk or think about.  But realistically, pregnancy, abuse and drugs are life altering for all involved and are very much a part of our lives and scary for our kids.

I almost forgot the regular stuff:  supervision of state regulated immunizations for all students, hearing and vision, (referrals and follow up-nursing school 101-what good does it do to refer if there is no follow up?), responsibility for health, wellness, safety, general well-being, and don’t forget the regular 60-80 health room visits per day!!  Many school nurses are involved in other projects with and for students on their own time because they care (Fuel Up to Play 60, Wii club and Diabetic Club are mine).  Whew, no wonder I’m tired. 

Oh yea, I forgot to tell you…..all of this is done by one person, yes, that’s right Your School Nurse. As medical professionals, most times we are alone.  We triage, call parents, treat, refer and follow through.  We can’t or don’t have time to confer with a team of medical professionals and frequently have to make split decisions.  We count on our coworkers to help (I love my secretaries) not only in emergencies but also when we come up with good, bad, or unusual ideas (ok, that’s me). 

Seriously, I really do love my job, my kids, the people I work with and would not want to do anything else.  It took me almost 20 years to find my niche and this is it. I advocate for children-our most precious gift-it’s what I do, who I am, and I hope to make a difference in their lives.  Yes, I AM proud to be a School Nurse.