Making a Difference – GCS Nurses
Connie Jones (left) and Deane Van der Sommen take a break at Gateway
While tummy aches, sore throats and bumps and bruises are still commonplace in schools, nurses are dealing with far more serious health issues compared to 10 or even five years ago. Most GCS nurses focus on chronic health conditions such as diabetes, asthma and life-threatening allergies. And as our enrollment increases, so does the need for nurses.
Many nurses travel to several schools in a week checking up on students and educating teachers and counselors on health issues and how and when to distribute medicine and proper emergency tactics. Teresa Johnson, RN, a school nurse since 1992, is an example of this trend. Johnson is responsible for the students at Hairston Middle, Jones Elementary, Weaver Academy and Brooks Global Studies.
“We do so much more than the band aids,” says Johnson. “We handle a lot of chronic illnesses along with first aid, immunizations and care plans. Vision screenings are really important. We have students who think that what they are seeing every day is normal, and then we do a vision screening and then they really know what they’ve been missing.”
Never the Same Day Twice
Nurses work not only with students, but also with staff, parents and the community as well. “I really enjoy working in the public health sector and working with the students, teachers and the community – our job is so broad,” says Johnson.
As the school nurses at Gateway and with almost 50 years of school nurse experience between them, Connie Jones, RN and Rebecca ‘Deane’ Van der Sommen , RN, know firsthand how their job can vary. “It’s different every day,” says Jones. “The students here really keep us on our toes, and you never know what you’re going to get.”
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Why School Nurses are Important
School nurses play vital roles in the schools today and are often a link between teachers and students and parents and teachers. “It’s important for people to really know the significance of school nurses. We make a big difference in student’s social and educational development,” says Johnson. “Nurses detect red flags; we listen, we’re there.“
Suzanne King, the school nurse at McIver Education Center agrees. “I think having nurses in every school would have an impact on student attendance.”
“It’s a hard job, but it takes people who are very special because they want to be in the schools with the children,” says Robin Bergeron, director of health services.
Teresa Johnson hard at work at Hairston Middle.
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