by Payton Cleary

As if being a nurse were not difficult enough, being a school nurse requires many skills. A school nurse constantly creates bonds with students by trying to make that person calmer both mentally or physically. 

To shine more light onto school nursing The Daily Trot interviewed school nurse Rebecca Hudson to go deeper into the ups and downs associated with the stress levels of being a school nurse.

What made you want to be a high school nurse?

When I first became a school nurse, I worked in a middle school. But when I heard about the new high school being built, I quickly became interested because I enjoy working with teens and know they need as much, if not more, compassion and care as little ones. 

What's the hardest part of being a school nurse?

Being the only healthcare professional in the building! In a hospital setting, you have other nurses, doctors, etc to bounce questions off or to assist with situations. In the school setting, the nurses train certain staff to be first responders to help with different scenarios and they basically work under our nurse license. 

When is it most busy?

My most busy time during the day is around WIN time. That is when I have an influx of students who come up for a variety of reasons. The most busy time of year is the beginning of the year. This is when I do most of the medication processing, medical plans, staff training and immunization reviews.

Is it ever overwhelming or too stressful?

I used to be a Cardiac/Medical-Surgical nurse at a hospital which was very stressful and overwhelming a lot of the time. School nursing can have those moments too but this is my true passion. Because of this, the stress that I sometimes feel is very manageable.

What are the bonds like that you are making here?

I feel that I have a lot of positive relationships with students, staff and family at Southeast. It's important to have a sense of belonging and feel comfortable where you live and work and to do so, you must be respectful and kind to everyone no matter their background. It's ok to disagree with someone but to build those bonds and relationships you need to try to step in other's shoes and see things from their point of view and appreciate each other's differences. 

How is it watching your sons being a senior? 

I love working at the school both of my sons attend! Being with them, especially during their senior year, is very special to me because I get to see both of them enjoy all their "lasts". I will definitely miss seeing them around in the years to come but I hope to still be here when my two little ones start high school!

What would be any advice you'd give to any students who are wanting to become nurses or school nurses? 

Specifically, school nursing is much more than what people see. It is definitely not passing out bandaids and ice packs day in and day out! What goes on behind the scenes to make sure each and every student is safe and healthy, both physically and mentally, is a lot more than what a lot of people can fathom. School nursing is very unique and rewarding! I would advise any student that wants to be a nurse to make sure you are going into nursing for the right reasons and to research the many different fields of nursing there is to make sure you are going into the type that will make you most happy and inspired to do your best each and every day. 

School nursing is a challenging job, but, for Nurse Hudson, she is always ready for another patient with open arms.