The Relentless School Nurse: Battered, But Still Standing

I came across this parking sign while visiting a Rutgers University school nursing student in her practicum. It was encouraging to see a parking space reserved for the school nurse, but it was weathered and worn, much like the way many of us are feeling. As we enter our third school year impacted by COVID, the exhaustion is real and the concern is building. While many of us have had space to regroup and recharge over the summer, that feeling is short-lived as we face the beginning of school. 

Finding strategies to boost our resolve to face the challenges that are looming will help strengthen our resilience. What can we do to support our own wellbeing? The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) has a wealth of open access resources that are helpful and actionable. They break down self-care practices into three parts:

Click here for the full worksheet that provides tips for Taking Care of Yourself!

As Glennon Doyle says, “we can do hard things.” We have proven this over and over again. The coming school year will be challenging, but our skills, determination and resolve will prevail. It is a privilege to connect with school nurses across the country. We need to maintain those connections now more than ever. Please reach out, let me know how you are doing and what topics may be of interest for upcoming blog posts. As always, my goal is to amplify the voice of school nursing, which includes your stories.