COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, mask mandating and more. Our school nurses have been scrutinized by parents wanting mandates gone, students lining out the door for tests and teachers tired of telling kids to put their masks up. Little thanks, if any, has been given for their effort — all the work and none of the gratification or praise. 

Covid has had a big impact on these last few years of school, not just on students but on teachers too. Health care workers are under the most amount of stress. 

According to a 2020 survey Mental Health America, 93% of health care workers said they were feeling stressed, and 76% reported exhaustion and burnout. 

This includes our school nurses who have been under plenty as well. Over the pandemic, hospital nurses have received recognition for their hard work and effort that they put into our healthcare system. School nurses not so much. 

“The school nurse role includes collaboration with school leaders and school-based mental health professionals to identify students and staff experiencing stress and anxiety and help establish a plan to connect those impacted to support services,” writes the National Association of School Nurses. 

Saying this, they are not only balancing their health and mental health but the health and mental health of the students that come to them. That puts a lot of responsibility on them and with covid they are dealing with the health of kids in a pandemic. When these nurses signed up to be school nurses, most of them were not expecting to have to deal with a global pandemic. They have gone above and beyond to stay true to our school. 

Even as they have stayed with us, we have had a hard time making them feel appreciated.

According to Nurses Management, nurses feel more commitment and dedication to their work if they feel valued. 

That feeling of value affects the work that they put out into this world. Think of a time that you were doing something and someone thanked you for doing it. You probably felt more inclined to do it again and take pride in what you were doing. It works the same way with jobs as well; if a customer tells you thank you for doing your job you are more likely to put more dedication into your work. School nurse is a job, and they deserve our thanks even more than most. 

They have worked so hard to keep our schools safe and healthy, yet they are still not appreciated. They have done so much over the past years, and they deserved to be thanked for all their hard work. 

School nurses should not be forgotten as covid slows down. They might not be performing a surgery of a tumor or cutting off diseased limbs, but they are working for our health and safety every day.  They have a very important job, and it should not be downplayed. 

Next time you see our school nurse, Malisa McEachen, say hello, and tell her thank you for what she has done. It will probably bring a smile to her face, knowing she has been recognized for the great work she has done.