Today, I began my Community Health journey at Hilliard Tharp Sixth Grade. This elementary and middle school serves the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. When I walked in through the doors before the first bell rang, I was immediately greeted by the school nurse, Katie Frenz. She excitedly introduced me to all the faculty and staff of the building, calming my nerves. Then, Katie walked me through the day’s schedule and the responsibilities w
e’d plan to tackle. But, just like any other nursing job, things did not get exactly as planned. There were unexpected student visits, shifting priorities, and the kind of organized chaos that only the school nurse can handle. Flexibility and adaptability were the true champions of today!
The school nurse has to deal with many health concerns for students including asthma and diabetes management, first aid from injuries at recess, and mental wellness. The day started off with Katie planning a day where a mobile dental clinic would come to the school and provide services to some students. She had to plan the schedule, location, and transport for many students to get these services. Next, Katie and I conducted a standard vision and hearing test for a student to put on file with the State of Ohio. After that was completed, we started planning for a class to teach fifth grade students about the growth and development changes. The topics covered included puberty, hygiene, peer pressure, body image, and much more. In between all these responsibilities, the school’s clinic assessed for many abrasions, tummy aches, and muscle aches. Many phone calls to parents were interspersed throughout the day about the health and wellness of their children. At times, communication could have been difficult because language barriers made if hard for some parents to understand what was going on. However, many of the students were bilingual and able to translate between Katie and the parents.
This day at the middle school relates toGoal 3 (Good Health and Well Being) of the United Nations. The role of the middle school nurse is to ensure that no student’s current or potential health problems go unnoticed. The school nurse is the liaison between faculty, staff, students, parents, and physicians. They conduct health screenings for vision and hearing, allowing easier access to these resources. In my opinion, the biggest role of the school nurse is education – especially in middle school. This is the age group where students start to feel awkward and self-conscious about their changing bodies. Katie reinforced that she is a resource for education on preparing and coping for these changes. My biggest takeaway from my experience today is that school nurses must be just as flexible and adaptable to their diverse environment as a nurse does in the hospital. Many surprises came into the school clinic today, but Katie handled every toss and turn with grace and the utmost respect for her patients and their parents.
