If you’re a longtime school nurse and MacGill customer, you may remember our book, “A Long Way from Henry Street”, in which we featured stories written by school nurses just like you about their experiences of keeping children healthy and happy.
Over the last few years, and especially so in 2020, school nursing has continued to change. That’s why we’ve decided to revive this project (click here to learn more)! Our hope is to provide a place for school nurses to share their experiences with the community. We’ll be publishing your stories in our upcoming flyers and right here on our blog. Please enjoy the first new story from our 2021 “Henry Street” series:
Why I Became a School Nurse: The Power of a Listening Ear
I would like to share the story of why I believe I became a school nurse. I am 27 years old and have been an LPN for 6 years, but just recently took a job as a full-time school nurse. I have never been able to say that I love my job until now! I am so very thankful for this opportunity. I truly believe this is where I am meant to be as a nurse.
As a small child, even as far back as kindergarten, I had a lot of stress in my life. There were a lot of things going on at home that were causing me anxiety and I did not know how to process them. I had a hard time leaving my mom daily because she was my comfort zone, but I knew I had to go to school and that she had to go to work. I had to find a comfort zone at school so I could make it through each day. That comfort zone was the nurse's office. I can't say that I remember every name or every face of each precious lady that held the title of "School Nurse" because there were many throughout my school years; but I can say that I felt the love, compassion, and peace that came from each one. I knew that there was a place I could go if I was upset or anxious and I would have someone there that could sit and listen. Yes, there were a few times that I talked them into calling my mom because I was just "too sick to stay". But even when I couldn't, I still left their office feeling better mentally than I did when I walked in.
With this amazing opportunity I have been blessed with, I want to be THAT school nurse. I want to be there to put bandages on the smallest of boo-boos, wipe tears and give ice to the ones that have fallen on the playground. But most of all, I want to be a safe haven and a comfort zone for those kids that have stress or anxiety in their lives that no kid should have to deal with. I want to be that listening ear. This is the reason I believe I have been blessed with this opportunity to have the title "School Nurse".
Victoria McCarter, LPN
Friendsville, TN
