According to Jeanna Johnston, a school nurse at both Mills River Elementary and Etowah Elementary, a day in the life of a school nurse begins between 7:30 am and 8:00 am.
After checking mail, email and other correspondence for urgent messages, there may already be students in need of care, especially those with chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes – to whom she administers medication daily.
The nurse remains on call throughout the school day, even responding to emergencies at other schools when necessary. There are injuries to check on, teachers and assistants to train in basic care, doctors and parents who need to be contacted about student health issues, and much more. Breaks from the action are few and far between – just this week, Johnston found herself giving a child an inhaler while another was throwing up in her office.
The day ends around 4:30 pm, either at the school or at the Department of Health and Human Services for a meeting or documentation of the day’s events. Though they primarily serve the schools, the nurses are employed by the county department, so there is often work to do outside of school.
There are currently 14 nurses working in the 23 public schools in Henderson County. To meet demand, most of them spend the morning at one school and the afternoon at another. This keeps them busy, but Amber Reece-Young, the nurse at Atkinson Elementary and Clear Creek Elementary, said that HCPS does a great job of providing staff and students with the necessary resources to stay safe and healthy.
Nurses also teach classes in our schools. Jodi Rector, RN, is a health occupations teacher at West Henderson High, and her classes teach students valuable life skills – and even help future nurses obtain state certifications. While the tests for these certifications can be expensive, the school reimburses students who pass. Rector had seven students pursue their Certified Nursing Assistant’s licenses this year and was pleased to report that all seven succeeded.
“I was in a program like this that helped me figure out what I wanted to do. It’s vital for nurses,” said Rector. “We’re teaching life skills that can save a life.”
For school nurses, the work is hard and the territory is huge, but being in positions where they can help so many people is often its own reward.
“School nursing is more than just a job,” explained Reece-Young. “You develop a relationship with the families and the kids. You see your work make a difference.”
“Being a school nurse means keeping children safe at school and helping educators help students reach their full potential,” said Johnston.
During National Nurse’s Week and all year long, these hardworking people make a huge impact on our schools, and their devotion doesn’t go unnoticed.
“We love Jeanna,” said Katie Proctor from the front office at Etowah. “We wish we could keep her full-time and double her salary.”
(Written by By Jake Browning, Western Carolina University, Public Information Office Intern, HCPS.)