I was approached by a teacher the other day out of concern for a student who had been dropping weight like crazy. I called the student's mother to see if it was ok that I talk with him. She agreed that he had been losing a lot of weight and wasn't sure why, since he had been eating like a horse. She said it was ok for me to talk with him. After talking with him, I was highly concerned because he had all the symptoms of type 1 diabetes. I called his mother and strongly urged her to take him to the doctor that day to get his blood sugar checked. She emailed me later that night to tell me thank you and that he had been admitted to the hospital with type 1 diabetes.
I can't even begin to explain how it feels to be a part of discovering something so serious and so life changing. I was moved to tears after reading that email. I have been running from nursing since I became a nurse at 40 years old in 2011. I have been doubting my abilities and praying for the day when something happens where I finally say to myself, "So this is why I became a nurse." Well that moment has come and I could not be more thankful. Maybe I have found my calling by being a school nurse.
I would love to hear why others love school nursing. It is terrifying yet awesome at the same time. The responsibility is huge by being the only medical person for like a 1000 kids and staff. But the things I see students for sometimes you just can't make up. "My elbow hurts in my shoulder and it is making me dizzy."... "Can I have ice for my leg?" "why" "I don't know it just started hurting.".... "My mom told me to come to the nurse if I still was feeling sick and she would come pick me up." (well duh...of course they are going to come to the nurse)... "miss, do you have anything to help me put my fake nail back on?" A teacher came to me the other day and asked if I could give him his allergy shot. In his butt no less. People think we just put bandaids on all day. I wish I could have these people sit with me just for a day to see what we actually do.
I was thinking about leaving school nursing, but after helping with saving this new diabetic's life, I am now rethinking it.
