Composed of 17 campuses and spanning from preschool through 12th grade and adult education, the Portland Public Schools are home to a large and diverse student population. Tina Veilleux is the School Nurse Coordinator for the district, overseeing the nurses in each school in addition to a variety of other roles. I had the opportunity … [Read more…]
From the moment I walked into the health office of Pond Cove Elementary School in Cape Elizabeth, nurse Erin Taylor knew it was going to be a busy day. A number of teachers were out sick, and, as Erin forewarned me, this always meant more students would be visiting her office with stomach pain, headaches, … [Read more…]
An unexpected but integral part of this independent study has been the opportunity to connect with and observe the work of the Maine Department of Education’s School Health Services Team. Initially, I had no idea that this team even existed, yet it has become increasingly clear to me the important role they play in supporting … [Read more…]
Earlier in the semester, I wrote a short paper on the school nurse’s role in preventing and treating eating disorders as part of my study on childhood development. However, upon discussing this topic further with school nurses over recent weeks, I have gained some new insights and was inspired to do more research. Most compellingly, … [Read more…]
When I was a sophomore in high school, I wanted nothing more than to win a state championship in cross country. As someone who’s always enjoyed writing, I decided to document my process from a disappointing freshman outdoor track state meet to the fall, where I’d eventually meet my goal and win the title. Unfortunately, … [Read more…]
The Impact of Day Centers on the Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease With an aging global population, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and memory decline among older adults has rapidly increased in recent years (Honjo et al., 2020). As a result, nurses, regardless of their specialty, will be tasked with caring for these patients more frequently … [Read more…]
One of the most difficult aspects of nursing school is the occasional sense of disconnect between classroom learning and real life. Oftentimes, on exams, we are asked what we would do or say in a given scenario, yet it is challenging to ascertain what actions we would actually take when faced with the situation in … [Read more…]
Final ePortfolio Reflection Prompt: Reflect on what you learned from this project and how you will apply this in your future nursing practice. Think about your audience, which could be a potential employer in your first nursing position. What would you want them to know about your capacity to contribute to quality improvement and evidence-based … [Read more…]
Necessary Interruptions When it first happened, I thought something was horribly wrong. I was a sophomore in high school, and, having just won the cross country state championships, was beginning to train for my first 10-mile race. Though I’d been running for a few years at that point and had always been a perfectionist about … [Read more…]
My first memory of church is a pattern. At three or four or five years old, I would stare at the checkered sea-green cushioning on the pews until each my eyes crossed and each square blurred together. It was a good distraction, and, after all, I needed all the distractions I could get. I had … [Read more…]
