Angels in Disguise
Stories from America's School Nurses
by
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“This book is a snapshot of the character that makes a school nurse so unique.”
—Judith A. Woop, MEd, RN, NJSCSN
author of Brain Injury: A Guide for School Nurses
When I turned around and looked, there was my little friend standing totally and absolutely naked, with the strangest expression on his face. He looked up at me and said, “I can’t wear those underpants because they don’t have Superman on them, and I only wear Superman underwear.”
—from “Super Solution”
A quick assessment found agonal breaths and no pulse. I immediately started CPR and asked the coach if he knew how to help. He started the chest compressions, and I continued breaths. We continued full CPR until the EMS arrived …
—from “Nurse to the Playground”
I quickly noted that his color was good and he was breathing and talking with ease. That was a good thing! Then I thought, How could this possibly happen? I suddenly recalled watching a show on television where a man swallowed a sword, but remembered that was just a magic trick. I said, “What? How could you swallow a crayon?”
—from “Tell Me … I Can Take It!”
Her clothes were usually too big, hand-me-downs from older siblings. Her hair was sticky, tangled, and long, and it appeared unclean. She would come to the health room with a stomachache. After some rest, she would return to the classroom. We spoke of family. As she was the youngest in her family coming through my school, I was already familiar with several of her older sisters. She hid behind her hair and spoke softly.
—from “Ponytail Lesson”
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About the Book
School nurses serve on the front lines of the everyday struggle for our children’s health, yet they are often perceived as little more than glorified dispensers of bandages. This false perception, held by many parents, officials, and administrators, does a serious disservice to this dedicated group of health professionals.
Angels in Disguise tells the oral history of school nursing through the eyes, ears, and hearts of school nurses serving throughout the United States. By sharing their personal experiences, these nurses illustrate their love and compassion and throw the doors wide open on this often-undervalued profession, enabling readers to see into their world and understand how much they truly care for the children they treat.
This collection of heartwarming stories offers unique insight into the daily responsibilities and duties of school nurses and serves to raise public awareness of the dedication, leadership, and exemplary pediatric health care provided by the devoted women and men who care for America’s schoolchildren.
The sophisticated medical health care required in schools today can only be delivered by qualified professional school personnel, and that challenge is met by having a school nurse in every school facility.
About the Author
Dolores H. McNany, EdD, RN, NJSCSN holds a doctorate in education from California Coast University and worked as a school nurse and health teacher in public and private urban school systems for more than twenty years. She resides in Maplewood, New Jersey with her husband Gene, and enjoys spending time at their summer home with their five children and seven grandchildren.