School Nurses Join Fight Against Coronavirus
After a grueling shift, exhausted nurses and doctors walk out hospital doors, their tired faces red and raw where masks have rubbed against their skin for many long hours. But when they’re met by a chorus of cheers and salutes from firefighters, police, and EMTs, those tired faces break into smiles, and, a lot of the time, tears.
Among them is Sue Weimer, the school nurse from Shawnee High School in Burlington County, New Jersey. Now she’s on the front lines, caring for the surge of coronavirus patients as a per diem nurse at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she had been working part time as an ER nurse on weekends during the school year.
The cheers from other first responders and the waves, applause and signs saying “Thank You” from people standing on porches or in apartment windows helps buoy spirits, as does the outpouring of support Weimer says she’s received from from friends and neighbors. The support is tangible — from donated meals from area restaurants to headbands with buttons sewn onto them so hospital staff can attach masks and head covering bands around them to avoid irritating their skin.
On social media, Weimer sends encouraging messages to students and their families.
“I want to let kids know their school nurses are still here and we’re doing what we CONTINUE READING: School Nurses Join Fight Against Coronavirus - NEA Today