Debunking the school nurse myth

Scrubs: What have been your most memorable moments working with children?

Ellen: I’ve had a lengthy career and met some wonderful children and families, but in the last four years I’ve had the pleasure of working with Ryan Burke and his wonderful family. Ryan’s diagnosis with diabetes in first grade was both a shock and a challenge to him, his family and the school. In all my years of school nursing, I had never worked with a child who had diabetes. This was a new learning curve and a new challenge for me. Ryan accepted the diagnosis with great strength and embraced all he had to learn and do for the rest of his life. At first, it was novel and scary for him, but with the love and support of outstanding parents and sister, and his own “can do” attitude, we went full speed ahead incorporating his new situation into his daily school day.

Ryan’s success in school can be attributed to a true team approach. The principal, staff, classmates and I welcomed Ryan back to school and developed a goal and a plan to make Ryan’s school life as much like everyone else’s. We wanted to work toward it being uneventful for Ryan, as well as a positive experience for everyone. Lowell School has accomplished its goal of giving Ryan a wonderfully uninterrupted education during the last three years.

Find out Ellen’s thoughts on health and wellness for nurses.