CRANSTON — When at one time nurses serving a school community may have focused primarily on taking the temperatures of pale-faced students and treating cuts and scrapes with Band-Aids, 21st century Florence Nightingales have taken on a much larger role.
School nurses monitor the day-to-day conditions of students with more life-threatening issues such as cancer, diabetes and severe food allergies, and they observe and watch for signs of serious illness, injuries and effects of family and socio-economic issues on school-aged children. They have also taken on the role of teachers who educate their school communities about any current health concerns.
Now, more than ever, many caregivers feel that it is vital to have a nurse present in school.
Julianne Langlais, a school nurse at Fr. John V. Doyle School in Coventry, is one of 33 nurses working in Catholic schools throughout the diocese. Langlais explained that she sees in her office 25 to 30 students per day.
“Sometimes I feel like people think we sit around and put ‘Band-Aids on boo-boo's’ all day,” she said. “My entire day revolves around assessing students.”
“From assessing an injury and recommending an X-ray for something that turns out to be a fracture, to looking at those vague symptoms and knowing it needs to be monitored, or knowing that the harmless rash is actually Scarlett Fever,” she explained.
Having a full time school nurse is a great comfort especially to those parents of students with serious medical issues.
“Six-and-a-half hours is a long time to worry about your child,” said Langlais. “Parents also know that their school nurse is a great resource for information. We can help with a particular issue they are dealing with, and we make their children feel safe and comfortable while in school.”
Jennifer Reynolds has two daughters enrolled at St. Mary School in Cranston. Her youngest, Samantha, is a first grader who lives with Type 1 diabetes.
“My oldest was just starting her first grade year when Samantha was diagnosed,” she said. “Knowing that they did not have a full-time nurse at the time was concerning to me. I knew that if we were going to stay at St. Mary they would need to have a nurse.”
Reynolds added that it was very important for the school as a whole.
“As a parent, the health of my children is the most important thing. If you only have someone part-time, you’d better pray that the kid falls at the playground when the nurse is there.”
Lisa Lepore, principal of St. Mary School in Cranston, said that hiring a full-time nurse was imperative for students like Samantha, for the well-being of each student and for the parents’ peace of mind.
“We just decided for everyone’s benefit that we should have a school nurse,” said Lepore. “It’s another full-time salary, but we felt it was well worth it. I feel 100 percent better that we have somebody medically trained.”
Alison Rosario, the full-time nurse at St. Mary School, said that she loves the day-to-day interactions with the students.
“I love seeing them grow and knowing they can trust me and come to me,” she said. “I love encouraging them to advocate for themselves … to learn to control how they are feeling.”
Rosario shared that a school nurse has to be prepared for anything.
“They have me here for emergencies and I feel very comfortable about it,” she said. “You don’t know what the emergency could be and that’s why I continue getting educated. You always have to be prepared and I take it very seriously that I’m here with the kids.”
Samantha continues to visit with Nurse Rosario twice a day, once before snack and before lunch. As an informed first grader, she is well versed in using her own insulin pump and can check her own blood sugar, her mother explained.
“The nurse we have is wonderful,” said Reynolds. “It’s been great working with her and it’s important for Samantha. She needs to have a nurse. It’s nice to know someone is there you can trust.”
For Bev Richards, a nurse at Monsignor Clarke School in Wakefield, her professional experience included working in the neonatal intensive care unit, obstetrics, and pediatric home care services. She found that although her work experience gave her the clinical expertise for the school nurse position, her role as a wife and mother have been equally valuable in supporting the Monsignor Clarke community.
“Like all schools, students can and do get sick or injured,” she said. “At Clarke, we are fortunate to have a fabulous health office with air conditioning. The students quickly learn my office is a great place to regroup and refresh.”
Richards shared that there are days when she refers to her office as “the clinic,” assessing students who come in with playground scrapes, sore throats, and myriad other physical ailments.
“These obvious maladies are expected and often easily addressed,” she said. “The more subtle maladies carry more of a burden. There are some students we may lovingly call the frequent visitors to the health office. Their reason is not so obvious. For some, there is no particular reason. Others take time to understand while some simply remain a mystery.”
Richards’ office is stocked with soft Koosh balls, coloring books and hand held games. She shared that sometimes it takes throwing a ball for a student to remember that everything is going to be all right.
“Some students need a more quiet experience and coloring at a desk makes that OK too,” she said. “Some students are simply tired and quiet rest helps them make it through the day. I often find the student has 21st century worries. The student's family may be in a crisis due to a major life issue such as cancer or divorce, or be experiencing financial struggles.
Working with the students is gratifying for Richards, who shared that she loves knowing the students see her and her office as a comfort.
“The families that choose Catholic elementary education can, with confidence, know they are sending their children into a safe, nurturing, faith-filled school,” she said. “I hope to provide unconditional support to each student's needs.”
