1 minute read
MORE THAN MEDICINE
by Ben Henry bhenry501@g.fhsdschools.org
Nurses Amy Kelly and Heather Marren have worked at North for a combined 27 years. Prior to working at North, Kelly worked at Cardinal Glennon and Becky David, while Marren worked at Progress West, Mercy and Sager Middle School.
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“I have a bachelor’s degree in management, then I went to St. Charles Community College for my nursing license,” Kelly said.
The nurse’s duties encompass more than just bandages and Ibuprofen. The nurses spend their time doing paperwork, vaccine records, cleaning the office and helping students.
“It’s way more than band aids and cough drops,” Marren said. “Thinking outside the box, getting creative, working with what you have.”
Part of keeping students healthy is maintaining their emotional health at school.
“We also do a lot of counseling, helping people find their way through high school, building relationships, watching them grow,” Kelly said.
Kelly worked in a bank for 12 years until she got her nursing license, while Marren attended school then worked in ERs and a level I trauma center.
“I figured I’d eventually end up in a school,” Marren said. ”My whole family is teachers and it’s a very family-friendly job schedule wise.”
School nurses are celebrated nationally on May 10 each year, which coincides with National Nurses Week. An important part of being a school nurse is helping students adapt their life to a new diagnosis and forming relationships with the students that need their help.
