Describe what you do in a typical day:

I'm not sure there really is such a thing as an average day as a
school nurse. Each nurse and school are so different and so
their days would be different. The things that most school
nurses do are

* give medications at various times of the day being sure all
forms are currently filled out

* evaluate and care for the children that come into the office
notifying parents of concerns

* assist staff with their medical concerns

* screen children for their vision and hearing, and some for
scoliosis and refer children to a specialist if there are
problems

* do state mandated TB testing and report to the state

* monitor all immunizations and be sure all students are in
compliance and report it to the state

* enter health information into the computer into two separate
programs: one for daily concerns and one for specific problems
associated with that child

* inservice staff on Fluid Precaution, Child Abuse, First Aid
and medication administration

* direct medical aspect of Earthquake preparedness

* obtain supplies for room and staff and coordinate training.

* initiate and direct health fairs in the schools to further
the students understanding of how to best care for themselves.

* obtain clothing for children in need

* provide a caring environment for children that are ill and
provide opportunities for children to learn with books and
information in the room.

* check heads for head lice if it is in the school

* write information for the school newsletter once a month

* maintain a bulletin board with health information on it

* report monthly to supervisor regarding all activities that
month

* attend professional meetings with other nurses or staff

What lead you to your present career?

When I was in the seventh grade I read a book by Doctor Tom
Dooley. He went on his own to Vietnam and Laos to work with the
people there. He was a caring person and he was able to improve
the lives of people there with his medical knowledge. I thought
that if one person could make such a positive difference, then I
wanted to be part of that. I love being a nurse and have been
one for 32 years.

 

What school subjects were most important to you in your present career?

Ethics is very important part of life as a nurse. You must be
dedicated to providing the best care to the best of your ability
and be ready to admit if you have made a mistake. Anatomy is
vital as it helps me to visualize the body and what might be
wrong. Physiology is vital as it assists me in understanding
how the body works and what might be wrong with an ill child.
Math is very important and I use it to calculate proper
medication doses when I am screening children and when I plan
for earthquake preparedness. English is important as I need to
communicate with other professional people and parents. It is
imperative to word things correctly. Reading helps me study
about medical information that will help me help kids. Social
Studies is important to assist me in understanding other
cultures and how they view health and how they care for
illnesses. I don't want to do something that would be
frightening to them or against their culture.

When did you see relevance of those school subjects to your future?
I always knew that science and math would be important. Reading
and English were needed for charting. When I began to work as a
nurse, I began to realize that importance of Ethics. At times,
you might find yourself with life and death decisions to make.
This is an awesome responsibility. We are all human and
mistakes can happen. For the sake of the patient, I knew I must
always be honest and ethical in my practice. The value of
Anatomy and Physiology came to me while in Nursing School. How
could I be a good nurse if I didn't understand the human body
and how it works? The relevance of Social Studies came to me
after graduating as I began to work in various parts of the
country. People are different and to help them, you must
understand their differences.

What skills are needed on your job?

On my job, I must be able to listen. I cannot help anyone if I
don't listen to what they say. I need to be able to use my
medical knowledge to visualize what they are telling me. I
refer the child to someone else. I must be patient, caring, and
willing to give of myself. I need to keep current on medical
practices and be organized in my record keeping. Today it is
also important to have some expertise with computers.

What are some pros and cons of your job that you think kids
should know when considering your career?

What could young people do to prepare themselves for this
career?

To prepare for this career you need to care for people first and
foremost. If you have this, then you could volunteer in a
hospital to see what it is like to care for ill people. You
should have an interest in math and science and pay attention
during school. You could interview nurses about their work and
how they feel about it. You need to do a little research about
all the possibilities there are in nursing. There are many
nursing hobs that are not in a hospital. Some examples are Camp
Nurses, Flight Nurses, Nurse Practitioners with their own
practice, Nurse Midwives that deliver babies and care for
pregnant mothers, School of Nursing administrators, Professors,
Writers, Nurses in the Military, Nurses in the Peace Corps,
Esperenza (a hospital ship that assists people in South
America), Ship Hope, Public Health Nurses, Office Nurses, just
to mention a few.