Byram Hills

School nurses play an integral role in monitoring and maintaining the health and well-being of students. They are on the frontline for potential emergencies while providing a safe environment in case of illness or injury. Byram Hills is fortunate to have six full-time nurses and two assistants who share a passion for their profession.

Betsy Gordon has been at Coman Hill for over 15 years. “The students are all of our kids and I come here first as a mother and then a nurse. That gives us a perspective that makes the kids feel safe and secure,” she said. Nurse Gordon spoke of caring for her students’ injuries and discussing how they occurred with them. She finds that hurt feelings go way beyond their scratches and that all gets reconciled in her office.  Students are happy and intact both physically and emotionally when they leave her office.

During the pandemic, school nurses faced a myriad of new challenges in order to keep students safe. One of the many priorities within Byram Hills was to adapt nurse’s offices to accommodate healthy and potentially sick children simultaneously. Nurse Gordon explained, “We changed our space from a small, sweet health office to a larger area with a division between well and possibly ill students. We also needed a location by an outside door for easy access to exit students from the building, if needed.”

While safety protocols are of utmost importance, school nurses still have the responsibility of instilling safety throughout their schools. “Some people think the nurses just put on bandaids or keep track of physicals but we are much more,” said Deborah Negrin, H.C. Crittenden School Nurse of 11 years. “My role is to make sure that students are healthy and in the best place they can be to learn.”

“Being an advocate and a positive role model for students is the most important part of this job,” said Mrs. Julie Gallagher, Byram Hills High School nurse of 16 years.  “If kids have any health conditions or medical problems, it is my job to educate them on how to manage these conditions. Teaching these kids is my favorite part of the job,” Mrs. Gallagher said.  “I teach them to navigate the school on crutches, play field hockey with a diabetic pump, general wound care, the whole gamut.”

Many districts are unable to have a qualified full-time nurse in each school.  With today’s ever-changing public health landscape, that can make it extremely difficult to reopen. In districts such as those, nurses drive from school to school distributing necessary medication. “We have always required a registered nurse in every school and because of that we are well prepared,” said Mrs. Gallagher.

Byram Hills nurses bring a remarkably broad set of skills and experiences to their job and were invaluable in reopening the schools. These individuals are doing everything in their power to keep our students in class and are helping to preserve normalcy. Their constant care, efforts to manage safety protocols, and devotion to students should not go unnoticed. Please thank your school nurse and recognize the unique and daunting challenges they face daily.