This was our first week back to school after winter break. We were virtual the first two weeks in January. It was a challenging reopening and not all schools were able to return face to face in my district. All of our high schools are in person for half of the day and remote for the afternoon hours. Three schools are fully remote due to staffing and student illness and or exposures. It feels like we are in a big game of Jenga and it can all come tumbling down at any moment. Attendance is as low as the morale. And yet, we do know how important it is for our students to be in school. The greatest challenge of all is how to keep things moving forward, when the stressors are at an all time high.
We have had to pivot so often that it feels like my head will swivel off my neck. These past few weeks have been filled with whiplash moments as the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), following in the intermittent updates from the CDC, released their new guidelines through multiple communications spaced days apart. Here is an example of what an update from the NJDOH looks like, all new guidelines are highlighted in yellow:
Needless to say, weekends have become even more precious, if only they were not so fleeting. I am learning to embrace quiet moments as a time to replenish and reboot. In an effort to rejuvenate here is a gift of soothing music. Weightless by Marconi Union is said to reduce stress by up to 65%. Included in the link below is a list of the top most relaxing songs, you may be surprised by the list!
Published by Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN
Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN, is a Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN), currently in her 22nd year as a New Jersey school nurse in the Camden City School District. Robin is the Director for New Jersey to the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) Board. She is proud to be a Johnson & Johnson School Health Leadership Fellow and past Program Mentor. Robin is the honored recipient of multiple awards for her work in school nursing and population health. These awards include, 2019 and 2020 National Association of School Nurses President’s Award, 2018 NCSN School Nurse of the Year, 2017 Johnson & Johnson School Nurse of the Year, and the New Jersey Department of Health 2017 Population Health Hero Award. Robin serves as faculty in the School Nurse Certificate Program at Rutgers University-Camden School of Nursing, where she teaches the next generation of school nurses. She was presented the 2018 Rutgers University – Camden Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award for Part-time Faculty. Robin writes a weekly blog called The Relentless School Nurse. She also writes a monthly column in My American Nurse, the official journal of the American Nurses Association. Robin’s work is included as a case study in The Future of Nursing Report 2020-2030. You can follow Robin on Twitter at @RobinCogan.
View all posts by Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN
