Stories from School Nurses

Broken?
A student's parents came up to me at open house and actually thanked me for writing such a detailed note.....

Heart Stopped
A student summoned me to a classroom; a classmate had slumped off her chair and was unconscious. She wasn't breathing and I couldn't detect a pulse.....

Labor
The friend said "Anne" was pregnant. She didn't know the due date.....

A Life Saved?
Last year I was called at 7:40 a.m. by the principal of an elementary school I am assigned to. (Starting time for me is around 8:30.) I was told that one of the teachers, Mr. H, was not feeling well.....

Making a Difference
I am often told that nurses are the glue that holds schools and families together. Let me give you an example.....

Parenting Alone
A quiet, soft-spoken young woman walked into my office looking sullen, with downcast eyes and stated, "I don't have any more day care for my baby, the program is closing." I could see the "panic" in her eyes.....

Poop Enemy
A kindergarten student with encopresis; soiling at school daily. Lots of frustration and yelling, shaming about it at home.....

A Safe Place
The assistant principal asked me to follow up with a student whose mother had called to say her son was depressed.....

Special Needs' News
We have been working with a family with special needs since the beginning of the school year. This child is at serious risk of failure.....

What Do You Do?
I was asked one day recently "what do you do everyday" by someone who knew that I was hard at work and had no idea just what a school nurse does. On any given day I come in with a plan to get certain things done and that changes within the first few moments of my arrival.....