The Relentless School Nurse: Shared Humanity – Conversations That Bridge Grief and Hope

Some connections are born from shared purpose; others emerge from shared pain. My conversation with Nelba Márquez-Greene for Shared Humanity: The Humans Behind the Headlines, a podcast  Yale School of Public Health, is both. Our paths first crossed on social media in the wake of tragedy, where reaching out for understanding led us to one another and sparked a genuine solidarity and shared commitment to advocacy in a world that too often turns away from the pain of gun violence.

As a school nurse, my days are filled with both the ordinary and the extraordinary. I welcome children into a safe space, listen to anxieties, and sometimes hold onto heartbreaking secrets. But like Nelba, my story is also shaped by personal loss.  That overlap of personal and professional experience fuels my advocacy and strengthens my resolve: our schools and our children deserve better.

Through years of conversations—on Twitter and beyond—Nelba and I have found a shared language for grief and healing, one rooted in both hope and action. We have each used our experiences to build bridges: she as a fierce advocate and community leader, and I as a school nurse and educator, championing secure gun storage, school safety, and a broader understanding of public health.

Our conversation explores what it means to transform trauma into action, to challenge misconceptions about school nursing, and to recognize school nurses as the invisible safety net connecting families, schools, and communities. I hope listeners come away with a renewed sense of urgency to view gun violence prevention as a vital public health responsibility—and with the inspiration to become active contributors to a safer, more compassionate future for every community.