You’re likely missing your nurse community these days. With social distancing practices in place and conferences being held virtually or being cancelled altogether, you may feel isolated from your peers. So, to celebrate National School Nurse Day this year and its theme of “Supporting Students in Times of Crisis”, we wanted to provide a space for you to share how you’re supporting students, parents, your school and your community during the pandemic. To show how you are giving back during this crisis, we asked you to share experiences with each other so you can feel that sense of community again.

After we put a call out for your stories, we received many videos and emails from school nurses across the country just like you. We invite you to view three compilations of the videos we received below. We loved all of the submissions so much we decided to share them with you in full. Please enjoy! We hope they bring you a sense of connection with your school nurse community.

Your Shared Experiences
Here’s how school nurses have stepped up to help others during this global crisis. Nurses across the country have shared their experiences, how they’ve been using their time, and more:

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING PARTICIPANTS:

Lisa Garza, Nurse at Irene Garcia Middle School in La Joya, Texas
Vicki Powell, School Nurse at Wallace A Smith Elementary School in Ooltewah, Tennessee
Kathy Tennison, School Nurse at Stewart Elementary School in Lubbock, Texas
Jennifer Johansson, School Nurse at Gilford Elementary School in Gilford, New Hampshire
Cindy Rose, School Nurse at West York Area School District in York, Pennsylvania
Jenn Ferber, Certified School Nurse at West York Area High School in York, Pennsylvania
Melissa Franklin, School Nurse at West York Area School District in York, Pennsylvania
Anna Thomes, School Nurse at Redwood Area Schools ISD 2897 in Redwood Falls, Minnesota
Rebekkah Dellaccio-Bazley, School Nurse Administrator at Northwest ISD in Fort Worth, Texas
Angie, School Nurse at East Aurora Union Free District, Buffalo, New York
Sonya Hiatt, School Nurse at Christ the King Catholic School in Fort Smith, Arkansas

Your Creative Support for Students 
School nurses understand that everyone needs to know how to stay safe during the global pandemic. Here’s how they’ve been communicating with and educating their students virtually to help keep them engaged and healthy:

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING PARTICIPANTS:

Liz Lazration, Health and Safety Director at Village Babies Development Center, LLC in South Orange, New Jersey
Heidi Teeling, Middle School Nurse in Frisco, Texas
Ann Mecleary, Certified School Nurse at Pennridge School District in Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Nancy Turner, School Nurse, Garland ISD in Garland, Texas
Debbie Bradley, School Nurse Consultant at Tender Care Consulting, LLC in Parker, Colorado
Tara Farley, School Nurse at Blount County Schools in Maryville, Tennessee

Your Messages of Hope
Looking for some inspiration? School nurses want you to know that we’re all in this together as we do our part to get through the pandemic stronger than ever:

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING PARTICIPANTS:

Staci Antelo, Director for District Health Services at Plano ISD in Plano, Texas
Amy Taldo, Director of Health Services at Grapevine-Colleyville ISD in Grapevine, Texas
Kenia Lugo, Camp Nurse at Eckerd Connects in Floral City, Florida

Feeling Inspired?
If watching these videos inspires you to share your own, it's never too late! We'll be accepting submissions for the foreseeable future and will continue adding them to our blog so others can benefit from your insights and experiences. If you’d like to send us your video, please email [email protected].

In the meantime, stay safe and healthy! Thank you for all you do for students and your community.