“If you would have told me 20 years ago that I would EVER be a school nurse, I never would have believed you. But I absolutely love it.” – Nurse Tamara
For many people, especially in the nursing profession, the role of school nurse may not always appear to be the most glamorous. Most will envision the sweat-breaking, chest-compressing ED nurse, or the ever-present, ever-vigilant inpatient bedside nurses depicted in media. But I believe it goes without saying that those two images, while important, only just scratch the surface of the wide-ranging roles and impacts the nursing profession can take shape in throughout every stage and facet of our lives.
Everything seems so much smaller than I remember
I had no idea what to expect, coming into this week. I was lucky enough not to see my own school nurse throughout my grade school years, and had never worked with one past that time. But the joyful and welcoming nature of Nurse Tamara and the lovely staff at the Madison Plains schools instantly settled me in and had me looking forward to the two day stay I would be having with them.
Starting out at the high school, we went through a blast-from-the-past for me with a round of morning announcements and the Pledge of Allegiance. Before long, the kids began trickling through for a range of ailments. Some with itching rashes, others with a pounding headache, common school-age bothers. Things did get a bit more interesting when we got the call that a student had collapsed in the band room. After gathering some supplies, and a brisk walk-jog, we were getting a senior girl assessed. She was alright, just a bit shaken up and confused, but thankfully she was able to go home and get some rest.
As the morning normalized and the students settled into their routine, we packed up and head over to the elementary school for the remainder of the day; as Nurse Tamara covers both schools (being the only nurse for the school district, deployed by the health department). The same nostalgia of walking into a high school earlier hit me with a second wave upon entering the drawing-adorned, “Star of the Week”-presenting halls of the Madison Plains Elementary. To the unmistakable music of childhood screaming and line-leaders directing their classmates, we shuffled our way into the nurse’s office where we would spend the bulk of our day.
My cozy little view for the day at the elementary!
The clinic time at the elementary certainly proved to be my favorite part. A steady procession of headaches and tummy aches would be occasionally interrupted with a more unique ailment, like dislodged ear tubes or a head lice check, as well as the occasional medication (which the kids all took down like champs). We topped it all off with a serenade of xylophones playing “Baby Shark” and recorders squeaking “Hot Cross Buns”.
Sustainable Development Goal 4.2 states, “By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and preprimary education so that they are ready for primary education”. In my experience here, the role of the school nurse takes this goal and extends it through that initial endpoint of primary school. Caring for students from pre-k all the way through high school, the school nurse plays an integral role in providing care to ensure a safe, prosperous environment for all students, regardless of socioeconomic status or health status, to thrive.
The energy of the children, the kindness of Nurse Tamara and the staff, and the almost serene nature of the care we were providing made for a really enjoyable experience for me. It was great seeing, from an adult and involved perspective, what the day-to-day looks like for a nurse in this field. The balance of providing care to the best of your ability, providing complete documentation for each and every patient that finds their way through the clinic, and providing a kind, empathetic presence for any and all that need it is a balance that all nurses must find. And in the case of a school nurse, that balance takes on a very fun (yet still incredibly important) dynamic. School nursing may be underrepresented in what many people picture for the nursing profession, but the variety of what each day brings as well as the continuity of care that couples with watching these kids grow year on year is certainly something that make this undoubtedly important role, undoubtedly worth it.