#WhatHappenedAtSchoolToday is a reflection from Miranda on her first year as a school nurse. Her Facebook message caught my attention, you will see why:
Reflecting on my first year as a nurse/school nurse. It was everything and nothing like how I expected it would be. So much of what I learned in college did not fully prepare me for the emotional and physical demands of nursing.
-Nothing can prepare you for the first time you have to call the child abuse hotline. Seeing the fear on a child’s face begging to not send them home.
-Nothing can prepare you when you are the only nurse around and you have to make decisions that no one else can make.
-Nothing can prepare you for when your school goes on lockdown and you have a vomiting kid in your office and have to squeeze in a tiny little bathroom with them until you know it was a false alarm.
Sometimes all I do is give a kid a clean new pair of socks and watch their face light up. Sometimes we give them new shoes or a coat and they tell me it’s the first new pair they’ve gotten in 2 years.
Sometimes all I have to do is give them an ice pack or a pat on the back and reassure them everything will be okay.
I wouldn’t change my profession for anything. I take home a lot of emotions with me, and that’s something I need to learn how to cope with. At the end of the day, these kids are almost like my own. And I was blessed with a staff who supports each other through all the hard times. ❤️
