My Turn: School Nurse Wendy Stabnow
I’m a career-changer. I went back to school when I was 50 to become a registered nurse. Now I’m back in school getting my bachelor of science in nursing degree. I started last year and have 21 hours to complete.
I went to a nursing program at the college on the Oglala Lakota Native American reservation where I’m from. It was open to everyone, but the majority of students there are Native American. My first real nursing job was with a small Indian Health Service hospital on the Winnebago Indian reservation in Winnebago, Nebraska.
There were programs on the reservation where I grew up that placed kids in high school into jobs, and I got just what I wanted — to be a candy striper in my community hospital. I loved the nurses I worked with — their personalities, how smart they were, their skills.
Now, as a school nurse, I see so many different facets of school life. I love our students and I love the way we all care for, and about, them. Because I attend IEP and other meetings, I’ve gotten to see how open to helping these kids everyone on the staff is. Every teacher and support professional is here to help students, but we also expect them to take responsibility, ask for help, and do the work. We want them to be successful, but it has to be a two-way street.
We talk about being there for the students, but we are also there for the parents. Sometimes they’ll ask: what’s going on with my son or my daughter? Would you be able to see them and talk to them? If it is something I can help with, I will do it. If it’s something I can’t help with, I will refer them to guidance or to one of the assistant principals so the child can be seen and given help if they need it. We really reach out.
I love my job because I know I’m here to take care of these kids and do my best to be sure they are healthy in body and mind. We can make a difference in their lives.
