I'm a school nurse whose work changed overnight. The politics have been frustrating — but there's no job I'd rather do.
Courtesy of Heidi DeSchepper; iStock; Rebecca Zisser/Insider
- Heidi DeSchepper, 39, was an elementary school nurse when the pandemic hit.
- She said it used to be a fun job but now it's full of politics and less carefree.
- Here's DeSchepper's story, as told to writer Julie Halpert.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Heidi DeSchepper, a 39-year-old school nurse in St. Joseph, Missouri. It has been edited for length and clarity.
This story is part of "How the Pandemic Changed My Career," an Insider series documenting the moves and moments that shaped people's careers over the last two years.
I'd always wanted to be a nurse.
I decided to go back to nursing school when I was 28, after having worked at a pathology lab in a hospital as a histology technician. Since I had five kids aged 7 and under at the time, I thought that would be one of the more stressful periods in my life.
But it didn't compare to what I had to endure as a school nurse during COVID-19.
I worked as a school nurse at an elementary school from fall 2015 to spring 2021
Then last fall, I got a new job as a nurse at a high school.
I like being a school nurse because I can work while my kids are in school, and I have my summers off.
It was a fun job. I handled bumps and bruises and playground injuries and dealt with kids who got sick. I also did hearing and vision screenings on all of the students.
But my job changed entirely once COVID-19 hit
Every single thing I do every day now revolves around COVID-19.
When a kid comes in with a routine illness or injury, my first thought has to be: Does this kid potentially have COVID-19? Have they been around someone with it? Do their symptoms align with it? Do I need to send them to get tested? Who did they sit by in class?
Some parents yelled at me if I told them their kid needed to be quarantined. Some said, "My kid's not going to wear a mask."
Unfortunately, this whole COVID-19 thing has turned political
Some parents are anti-vaxxers. The school I work at doesn't require vaccination for COVID-19, and I'm not allowed to ask whether students are vaccinated. I'd guess only 25% to 30% are vaccinated. I'm vaccinated.
I don't want to make people upset. I want to be a nurturer and take care of people. On the other side of the coin, some parents are overly cautious and concerned when their son or daughter isn't subject to a quarantine when they've been exposed.
We had to create a makeshift isolation room right next to my office
Any time a kid showed any type of symptoms at all throughout the day, I had to put them in this isolation room. I would need to call their parents to come get them immediately.
And so I was expected to be in two places at once. I had to be in the isolation room if I had somebody in there, but I also had to manage my clinic as well. I didn't feel like I could be fully present or give my full care and attention to students in either place.
A number of our families fall under the poverty line, so I was their only contact in the medical profession
They didn't have a doctor, and they would ask about COVID-19 symptoms and what to do. I was always worried I wasn't saying the right thing, especially since the CDC guidelines were often changing. That's very stressful.
Our nurse manager (who oversees all the school nurses in my district) does an excellent job of keeping us all informed of the newest information from the CDC. She sends out emails often. She tried as best she could to keep us in the loop, and we all had to take the CDC contact-tracing course.
There's a registered nurse in every building in my district
We're very fortunate to have that. There are a few buildings that have two nurses, depending on building size.
I was by myself at the elementary school. There are two of us at the high school. We have some substitute nurses (who are also RNs), but we have a hard time finding and keeping subs.
I went into school nursing because it's a fun specialty and I love working with kids. But it's not so fun and carefree anymore.
During Thanksgiving 2020, I got COVID-19 as well
I presume it was from a student. I had to be isolated from my family, and my husband had to make the entire holiday meal himself. He brought me a plate and I couldn't taste or smell a thing. My sense of smell and taste is still not back to normal.
In March 2020, my 6-year-old — my sixth child, who was born in 2012 — got COVID-19, and my 17-year-old, who attends my school, was diagnosed on January 17 and spent three days in the ICU. Fortunately, they're both fine now.
This pandemic is far from over
We're seeing roughly three to five positive cases a day among a total of 1,500 students. At least two staff members get it every week.
The numbers are coming down, but it's still there.
It's also made me realize that as a school nurse, I'm on the frontlines of public health
I hope it's made others in education and elsewhere realize that we do a heck of a lot more than sit at our desks and hand out Band-Aids all day.
As frustrating as it may be at times, there's no job I would rather do. I enjoy being in a school setting and I like being around kids. They're very honest and will tell you exactly what's going on.
Sometimes kids will tell me things that they won't even tell their mom or dad or close friends
I like building that trust with them, and I like being that person they want to come to.
You never know the effect you'll have on the people that you come into contact with. It's an honor and privilege to get to care for these kiddos during the pandemic.
COVID-19 has taught me that we just never know what tomorrow's going to bring
So it's made me enjoy my time at home more with my husband and kids and also made me leave work at work more.
I used to worry a lot about certain students and bring those worries home with me. I just want to enjoy my time with my family when I'm with them and enjoy my time with my students when I'm with them.
I'm looking forward to getting back to some kind of normal at the school when COVID-19 is behind us
I want to get back to doing things like hearing and vision screenings and not having to be so worried and paranoid about every little thing — and just enjoy the kids more.
Even at home, any time my kids were sick, I would worry. And even with my own son who was in the hospital, I wondered, Is this going to take my own family, too?
I'm just ready to not have COVID-19 lurking around every corner.
My view of nursing and nursing practice has permanently changed for sure. I definitely view myself as a more vital part of public health now, and I don't think that will ever change. I feel more ready to take on whatever comes my way.
from Business Insider https://ift.tt/mZC49gz
No comments