SUMMER 2021 Tell me what your “typical” day looks like: Nurses don’t really have “typical days” due to the human factor in medicine. Every day is different and brings a new agenda. At the beginning of a typical school year, my schedule is always fast and furious with preparations, screenings, immunizations and yearly requirements. We check every student to see if we need to make any accommodations, update staff concerning any medical concerns, and connect with parents to be sure we keep everyone safe. In addition to this, I teach CPR and Stop the Bleed to our staff and students. Training others in life-saving skills is one of the perks of my job. As a school nurse, how has your role changed because of COVID-19? When we closed the school doors in March of 2020, we made a sudden transition to virtual learning. Like every other parent, my children and I had to make the unexpected transition. I discovered how hard it is to work and teach my kids. During this time, I also returned to the hospital. It was valuable to see firsthand how the hospitals were protecting our community. It gave me important insight as we developed our process for returning to school. In July, there were so many unknowns about the virus and information would change daily. I worked with the leadership team, our Athletic Trainer, community resources, and local experts to develop a detailed plan so that our kids could have a safe learning environment. The day before school started in August, the reality of the pandemic sunk in. So many people were depending on us to keep our campus safe and healthy. My daily prayer became, “God let us do it Your way, and You will get all the glory for Your work.” I have had a front row seat to watch Him work and let me just say - He loves to put on a show. We have such an amazing faculty that loves our students and the community. When we presented our process to return to school during in-service, our faculty stepped up to the challenge and taught classes in a new setting. Did you expect to ever work in a situation like COVID-19 after graduating from nursing school? We didn't discuss pandemics much in nursing school because our country is blessed to have medical interventions NURSE MANDY JONES 27 to protect people. Even in the Emergency Department, we would practice for community disaster response and how to handle single cases of high infectiousness, but I never imagined I would experience what COVID-19 brought to our lives. What has this Pandemic experience taught you? God is in control even when circumstances are uncertain. During this season, we continually saw His protection over our campus. When I had to be away to take care of my family, God provided the right people at the right time. God has continued to show me that He's got this - all of it. He provided everything when we needed it, and it all fit His perfect plan. When He does things, even things we don’t understand, He's still working for our good. What's the best part about being a school nurse? School nurse, ER nurse, Camp Nurse, Nurse - no matter what my title is, the best part about my job is helping people. Fixing problems, comforting, educating, encouraging, are all the things that I get to do and call it a career. It is so rewarding to know that someone is better because you helped them. Advice to Someone considering Nursing as a Career: If you feel God is calling you to nursing, start small. I took first aid at age eight, started lifeguarding in my teens, became a first responder, and then pursued nursing. Every step gave me new skills to help others with an opportunity to also share Jesus. The world needs more people helping each other, and it's never too late to start.
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