Being a school nurse is like running a "mini medical center."
By: Lacey Korevec
Whether they need a Band-Aid, have a tummy ache or just feel rotten, approximately 40 students visit the Cranbury School nurses’ office every day.
And nurses Beverly Gerberich and Mihee Sohn said they try to know each of those students’ names, no matter who walks through their door.
"I think when you know the children you can more quickly identify what might be the problem or what might be going on because you’ll know their background, their medical history, you know what their needs are," Ms. Gerberich said. "But on the other hand, I think for the students it creates that personal connection that they’re important as an individual. Especially when you don’t feel well, it’s nice to know that someone knows your name."
There’s more to being a school nurse than meets the eye, Ms. Gerberich said. While many think of school nurses as simply handing out ice packs, taking temperatures and sending sick children home from school, Ms. Gerberich said the job actually can be quite intense.
"The school nurse is responsible for the care of all the kids and we’re really the only health-care providers at the school," she said. "So, in seconds we can be going from Band-Aids to trying to figure out if you need to save somebody’s life or not. It’s a heavier responsibility than most people realize."
Ms. Gerberich, the school’s certified school nurse, said she and Ms. Sohn are in charge of students’ health during school hours, but also often treat faculty members who aren’t feeling well. The nurses also promote physical health and wellness throughout the year. Ms. Gerberich also teaches three health classes a week.
The two women, both registered nurses, work as partners throughout the school day. Since Ms. Sohn is not a certified school nurse, she has a different set of responsibilities.
"I do all the administrative stuff and I do the teaching and take care of the kids," Ms. Gerberich said, adding that a certified school nurse is certified to teach. "(Mihee’s) main priority is taking care of the children and the documentation and the daily running of the office from the patient care standpoint."
Though she often sees a lot stomachaches, headaches and sore throats, Ms. Gerberich said a lot of students, especially younger children, often go to the office for a different type of problem.
"Sometimes kids just come here because they need a mental break," she said. "They might be upset about something or just need to chill out."
In those cases, Ms. Gerberich said the best thing to do is not judge the student and find out whether or not there is something about the school day driving him or her to the nurses’ office. For example, a student having trouble with math may be more likely to visit the office during math class.
"First thing we try to figure out is what’s going on and we might want to call their mom," she said. "One thing I think nurses are good at is coming up with a solution. We might refer them to a guidance counselor or back to their teachers. If it’s happening very often, we definitely talk to their teacher."
In dealing with any students who aren’t feeling well, whether emotionally or physically, Mr. Gerberich said her main goal is to keep children in school unless they’re contagious or truly unable to learn.
"Number one, their work is their school," she said. "So they need to be there so they can do their work, so to speak. And as they get older, missing a lot of class time makes it very difficult to keep up or make up the work, especially the middle school kids."
But sometimes, Ms. Sohn and Ms. Gerberich see students who need to go home and rest or have serious problems that need to be treated right away.
"A couple times a year, we have a situation where we have to call for an ambulance," Ms. Gerberich said. "Hopefully, not that often, but we have had serious enough emergencies. We’re lucky to have a really fine volunteer ambulance squad," she said, adding that the Cranbury Police Department is also especially quick to respond to an emergency.
The nurses also do a lot of work behind the scenes to help avoid emergency situations, Ms. Gerberich said. They work closely with the administration any time there are class parties or events where food will be available to students who might have allergies. Approximately 4 percent of Cranbury School students have serious food allergies, she said.
"If we do our job right behind the scenes then it goes seamlessly," Ms. Gerberich said. "So, it doesn’t look like it’s a big deal and we are just kind of silently working in the background to make sure kids are safe and that they still can enjoy the experience."
They also constantly monitor the symptoms they see coming into their office to make sure there is never a school-wide epidemic spreading. Head lice and strep throat are two conditions that students are likely to spread to their classmates, prompting large-scale problems for the school, she said.
"We really work like a mini medical office for 637 kids," Ms. Gerberich said. "We have computerized records, so that really helps."
Ms. Gerberich said she also puts a lot of effort into keeping faculty members fit by offering programs that promote wellness throughout the year. In March, faculty members will be competing in a fitness challenge aimed at motivating teachers and staff members to complete a small amount of physical activity each day.
"They’re role models," she said. "If they’re healthier and happier, that makes a big difference. I’m trying to find new ways to offer services to staff. I’m trying to give them all kinds of ways to think about their health because I truly believe that’s part of our role here."
With 24 years of nursing experience behind her 20 of which came from working at hospitals and four from working at Cranbury School Ms. Gerberich said working as a school nurse is one of the most challenging and fulfilling endeavors she’s undertaken.
"You can’t graduate and get your RN degree and come into this job," she said. "You really need a varied experience in nursing because you only have a thermometer, a stethoscope, a blood pressure cuff and a flashlight and your brain. That’s basically all you have so you have to have some experience behind you to know what to do because it could be a life-threatening situation."
And with each day that passes, Ms. Gerberich said she still is learning that she and Ms. Sohn can never predict what will happen in an ordinary day’s work.
"There could be 10 children who walk in at the same time and they all need something," Ms. Gerberich said. "So, it can be very hectic and it can be very quiet. But we basically have to expect the unexpected."

