18 Jan 2002
Two District Nurses Say They Enjoy Taking Care of Students
DALLAS–Nationally, School Nurse Day is January 23. But for the Dallas Independent School District, school nurse day is everyday. DISD employs 152 school nurses to serve the district's 218 schools. Last year the nurses handled more the 1.38 million clinic visits including 250,790 adult visits.
From veteran to first year, school nurses across the district start and end their workday taking care of the district's 163, 763 schoolchildren. Working for DISD for 23 years, Olivia Hernandez is one of those veteran nurses. She has been working at Ascher Silberstein and Urban Park elementary schools for 10 and eight years, respectively, and enjoys every opportunity she has to serve those communities.
"I am successful because I have two wonderful, supportive principals who think very globally about the community and truly care where these students will be in 10 years," Hernandez said. "DISD is a diamond in the rough and I'm lucky to be part of the wonderful things that happen here."
In addition to her duties in the nurse's office, Hernandez makes home visits to meet with parents who are not accessible by phone or to facilitate homebound students' return to school; coordinates services donated by local businesses and organizations, such as Lenscrafters and Baylor School of Dentistry; and is the parents' first contact for not only their children's health issues, but their own.
The students' parents will come to me, tell me how they're feeling, and ask questions about their health and how and where to get services," Hernandez said. "It is a good feeling to know that they are this familiar and comfortable with me, are able to talk to me, and trust me.
Teaching is also a big part of her day – teaching students proper hygiene, self-care of wounds and illnesses, disease management, and health education. Her newest project is an all-out attack on germ warfare, teaching students the importance of washing their hands to prevent the spread of cold and flu viruses. She even has a kit with a gel the students rub on their hands that will show, under a special light, where the students missed when washing their hands.
First year school nurse Amy Jackson says every day is a new adventure for her. Spliting her work week between Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary and Stonewall Jackson Elementary, Jackson spends her day writing medical referrals so that the schoolchildren will be healthy in the classroom.
Jackson says sometimes school nurses are the first line for medical advise for students.
"If there are physical or mental barriers to learning, students cannot concentrate and succeed academically," she said. "When students don't feel good, they cannot learn. Our job is to screen students and make medical referrals to help them seek the appropriate care."
Jackson says many children refuse to go to hospitals because they are afraid. They are afraid because they associate hospitals and doctors with pain and needles.
"By having a clinic on campus, school nurses can dispel misconceptions about medical care and professionals," she said. "We can relieve a lot of that fear by showing them care with a lot of hugs and smiles."
Jackson remembers a young girl who came to the clinic with a fractured arm.
"She was afraid of going to the doctor, afraid of getting an X-ray. I sat her down and talked to her about her feelings," she added. "It was important for her feelings to be affirmed and validated. We discussed the benefits of going to the doctor and the consequences of not going. To make her feel more comfortable, I walked her through the steps that the doctor would take."
The next day the girl returned to the clinic to "show off her cast."
"She was so proud of it," Jackson remembers.
Jackson says all school nurses have a "big" desire to care for people, especially children.
"I love working with children," she said. "They have such an innocent and unique view on life even when they are sick. Because they enjoy life, they are eager to get better. They have an upbeat attitude and bounce back quickly."