National School Nurse Day
School nurses play an important role in helping our kids with type 1 diabetes management. It is for this reason, among many others, that school nurses are nationally recognized and celebrated for their contribution to the health and well-being of all students. The theme of National School Nurse Day 2016 is School Nurses: Better Health.Better Learning. Today, Breakthrough T1D honors school nurses for their daily contributions that promote better learning.
Below is an inside look into the life of Brenda Ramos, a school nurse who goes above and beyond for her students and their families:
By Brenda Ramos, RN
School Nurse, Hindley Elementary School
Nursing is a wonderful and rewarding profession because nurses are able to provide love, care and support to people at the most difficult and vulnerable times of their life. As a school nurse, I am able to provide medical care and support to children with medical needs so that they are able to access their education. It is rewarding to be able to teach, encourage, and provide care to children and their parents on a daily basis. My job as a school nurse has afforded me with the opportunity to build strong relationships with children and families, especially with the type 1 population.
As a school nurse, I took care of children with diabetes and then they went home. I had no idea regarding the amount of time devoted to a child with diabetes and the immense burden this disease placed on caregivers and children. You see, type 1 diabetes became very personal to me because 4 years after working as a school nurse, my son Justin was diagnosed at the age of 5. To care for children with diabetes is one thing, but now I have a mother’s perspective as well which is incredibly different. I have the unique ability to connect with parents because I join them in the daily struggle of diabetes management in a way that most nurses cannot. Counting carbs, changing insulin to carb ratios, administering insulin, looking at trends, managing lows or highs, doing late night checks while whispering prayers asking God to remove this burden from son is our new way of life.
Diabetes definitely has its ups and downs, but looking at the brave manner in which my son along with other children with diabetes handle it makes me proud. I am grateful for the incredible fundraising efforts of Breakthrough T1D that have brought forth great gains in the area of technology and diabetes management. These gains have alleviated the burden of mealtimes, sports, sleepovers and life for children and families living with diabetes. Turning type 1 into type none is important to me because I would love to see children and adults living a normal life without carrying this daily burden. I am hopeful and confident that a cure is soon around the corner.
“Brenda is an excellent nurse who builds immediate relationships with students whether they come in with a tummy-ache, scraped knee or type 1 diabetes; she handles every case with such care. She has a valuable gift because when a child is first diagnosed, the family goes into panic mode, but once they speak with Brenda, I can immediately see the relief in their faces. A tremendous connection is made as parents see that she understands not just from a medical perspective, but also from a parent’s perspective.”
Rita M. Ferri, Hindley Elementary School Principal