All sorts of sounds emanate from the school nurse’s office. Tears over a scraped knee. Coughs and sneezes. Laughter. Laughter? Yes. Laughter. Many school nurses who entered our Henry Street story contest shared stories that are sure to lighten your day with laughter.

After enjoying these stories, read on to learn how to share your own story, whether funny, heartwarming, inspiring or interesting. Submit a story by November 30, 2021 to enter to win a Nurse Mates^® Ultimate Signature Traveler. Winner selected at random.  

A Fish-Shaped Allergy

A student escorted another student into my office, both in a panic. The students appeared in my doorway, one with a deer-in-the-headlight look and the other ready to call 911. 

Johnny’s friend: “I think Johnny is having an allergic reaction!”

School Nurse: “Johnny what did you eat and what are you allergic to?”  

Johnny: “I’m allergic to fish.”

School Nurse: "Where did you eat fish?”  

Johnny: "For our snack today. We had goldfish!”

I paused. Was he pulling my leg? No. He and his friend, who was patting him on the shoulder to comfort him, were very serious.

Trying my best to keep a straight face, I explained that goldfish crackers are shaped like fish but do not contain any actual fish.

To reassure them, I did an assessment and talked with them.

When they left, I had to giggle to myself. It totally made my day. 

Kimberly Haws MSN, BSN, RN

A Fairy Godmother/Laundress 

A very distraught 2nd grade student came to my office right after breakfast. She had spilled grape juice on her white and blue romper. And it was picture day. Her picture was to take place in 30 minutes, so I didn't have much time. After giving her something to wear, I diligently attempted to remove the stain and dry her clothing as quickly as possible. Just in the nick of time, I handed her the clean, dry outfit. She was ecstatic. 

"Miss Tangee I feel like a princess and you're my fairy godmother!" 

Tangee Sills, RN

 A Bumpy Reminder 

A little girl wearing cute little boots and a pink vest came to my office because she had bumped her head. With a few tears, she said:

“I bumped my head, Mrs. Booms. Can I Pweeze have an ice pack?”

Upon inspection, she had a small bump on her head, but nothing alarming. I gave her the ice pack and asked her if she thought she would be okay. This cute little spitfire pointed her finger at me and said, to my surprise:

“Mrs. Booms, beawwty hurts. My mom always tells me that I need to be a strong, little gwirl and to remember that beawwty hurts.”

She reminded me that not only am I here to help these children through healthcare, but I am also here to listen. These bright students are our future. The way they see the world brightens my day. 

Camay Booms

An Unexpected Nursing Supply Need 

One unexpected adventure of being a high school nurse is handling social media trends and challenges, like a recent hot pepper challenge. A student challenged classmates to eat some Carolina Reapers from his grandpa’s pepper garden. Multiple kids came to my office one afternoon after accepting this student’s challenge.

One kid in particular was suffering badly: his nose was running, his eyes were watering, and his mouth was on fire. He asked what I could do to help, but I didn’t have much to offer. He exclaimed:

“Don’t you even have some milk or something? What kind of school nurse are you?!?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. I never knew I needed to have milk in my office to be a decent school nurse.

Kristin Arnold

A Wish

A student to the teacher: “I wish the school nurse was my mom.” 

The teacher: “Why?” 

The student: “Because when you go see the nurse, you get to go home early!"  

Amanda Terrill, RN

 A Worm’s Tale 

When I was a very new school nurse, a teacher called me in a panic and let me know she was sending a student to my office because he told her he had worms.

After repeating the story when he arrived in my office, I called mom and told her what her son said.

There was a very long pause.

And then she burst out laughing.

“Yes indeed, he did have worms. He and his dad are going fishing tonight, and they bought worms to use as bait.”

Kay Duncan, MAA, BSN, RN, CPN

Tell Your Tale 

When did a student last make you laugh? Do you have unique or inventive solutions? MacGill would love to hear your stories.

To learn more about your chance to win a Nurse Mates^® Ultimate Signature Traveler, discover how to submit a story, and find more story ideas, read our story contest blog post. Email your stories or questions to [email protected].