Meet your Nurse Practitioner

I came back to BFUHS so that I could have more time with my family, and to give back to a community that helped to raise me. I feel like it is important for our students to see just how much you can do and how far you can make it, even from a small town!

So what can the nurse do for me at the High School?

I wear many hats! I can help with many things and might even be able to save you a trip to a physician's office depending on what is going on. We also are fortunate to work closely with Dr. Hall (our Medical Director) who helps us coordinate care at a higher level if needed. In addition, Dr. Hall outlines a number of "standing orders" for us - over the counter medications, treatments and procedures that we are authorized to administer or perform in the office. It goes without saying that some of our standing orders still require parental permission, but we will always call if there are any questions we have for a parent or guardian! **Hint - if the Medical Information Form is completed at the beginning of the school year, we can get permission for them all in on place and save a phone call!!

Some of our standing orders include:

• Tylenol (acetaminophen)

• Advil (ibuprofen)

• Tums (calcium carbonate)

• Cough drops

• Benadryl (diphenhydramine) - I will only administer this if: 1, your student is having an allergic reaction, 2. your student has a ride home, and 3. a parent or guardian has been notified that this medication needs to be administered.

We also take care of cuts, wounds, burns, sprains, sore throats, headaches, menstrual cramps, stomach aches, nail problems, you name it! Trust me, I have seen it all! As a student, no one should be embarrassed or worried to come to the Health Office. We can address almost anything, and if we can't fix it for you, we can certainly help you work through it to get you what you need in most cases! Anything you bring to the Health Office stays in the Health Office - we promise to maintain your confidentiality, and strive very hard to make this a safe place.

We also conduct regular screenings for Vision and Hearing. The State of Vermont requires that High School students in grades 9 and 12 be screened each year. Additionally, at any time, if you feel like your child is having a hard time seeing or hearing, please let us know right away and we can screen them. Keep in mind, our screening at the High School does not replace a visit to an optometrist, ophthalmologist or an audiologist, (eye doctor or a hearing doctor). However, if someone is struggling to see or hear, we will likely be able to pick up on it on our screening, at which point we can make a referral to the appropriate specialist for you.

Lastly, I want these students to know that they can come to the Health Office for reasons that may not even be health related. The reason I like this level of education, is that your students are basically young adults. I can talk to them like adults. I don't talk down to these students, and I never will. I respect them and their personalities and their ambition and their drive, and I LOVE their excitement and energy as they get ready to go out into this crazy world of ours and make a difference! I want to be a person they know they can come to with those hard questions that they don't know who else to ask. I want them to let me know when they're scared and overwhelmed - we have all been there. I don't ever want any of my students to feel like they had no one to go to. Sometimes these students just need a quiet place to be alone for awhile. We can do that. Bottom line, high school is hard - I want to make it a little bit easier for them if I can!

Please get in touch with me if you have any questions or concerns - I'm here for all of you!