Over two decades, Sharon Richardson has probably mentored 20 to 25 school nurses who got their start in eastern Kanawha County schools, said lead school nurse Brenda Isaac.
BELLE, W.Va. -- Over two decades, Sharon Richardson has probably mentored 20 to 25 school nurses who got their start in eastern Kanawha County schools, said lead school nurse Brenda Isaac.
Often, new school nurses start out in the eastern part of the county but they move on when a new job opens up, as few live in the area. Richardson has essentially "trained them into the job, which has just been invaluable," Isaac said.
"A lot of nurses on staff kind of feel like she's their mentor," she said.
On Oct. 29, Richardson received the award for West Virginia School Nurse of the Year at the annual West Virginia School Nurses Fall Conference in Morgantown.
"All the nurses that I've worked with are really qualified so it did surprise me," Richardson said.
She splits her time among Belle Elementary, Dupont Middle and Midland Trail Elementary.
On Wednesday, Richardson was busy getting together the permission slips needed for upcoming swine flu vaccination clinics at Belle and Midland Trail. She had some students at Belle help organize the paperwork.
"It has been a lot more responsibility," she said of helping prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus. Belle Elementary will have its clinic Nov. 12, she said.
"Setting up the clinics, you have to get all the permission slips out," Richardson said.
County school nurses have also been working hard to make sure to separate children with flulike symptoms from other students, and working with teachers, principals and staff to do the same, Isaac said.
BELLE, W.Va. -- Over two decades, Sharon Richardson has probably mentored 20 to 25 school nurses who got their start in eastern Kanawha County schools, said lead school nurse Brenda Isaac.
Often, new school nurses start out in the eastern part of the county but they move on when a new job opens up, as few live in the area. Richardson has essentially "trained them into the job, which has just been invaluable," Isaac said.
"A lot of nurses on staff kind of feel like she's their mentor," she said.
On Oct. 29, Richardson received the award for West Virginia School Nurse of the Year at the annual West Virginia School Nurses Fall Conference in Morgantown.
"All the nurses that I've worked with are really qualified so it did surprise me," Richardson said.
She splits her time among Belle Elementary, Dupont Middle and Midland Trail Elementary.
On Wednesday, Richardson was busy getting together the permission slips needed for upcoming swine flu vaccination clinics at Belle and Midland Trail. She had some students at Belle help organize the paperwork.
"It has been a lot more responsibility," she said of helping prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus. Belle Elementary will have its clinic Nov. 12, she said.
"Setting up the clinics, you have to get all the permission slips out," Richardson said.
County school nurses have also been working hard to make sure to separate children with flulike symptoms from other students, and working with teachers, principals and staff to do the same, Isaac said.
Earlier Wednesday, Richardson met with fifth-graders for the school's cardiac project with West Virginia University, where they check cholesterol levels and do other tests and activities to promote good heart health.
Richardson also spends her day checking the blood sugar levels of diabetic students, giving prescription medications at lunchtime, and tending to the skinned knees, bumps, bruises and twisted ankles children get on the playground.
These days, Richardson has noticed that children at 3 and 4 years old are being diagnosed with diabetes.
"What we're seeing are the diabetics are younger and younger," she said.
William Underwood, a kindergarten teacher at Belle Elementary, called Richardson a diligent, hard worker who's always on her toes.
"It's a lot to do," he said. "She's always there to take care of all the kids."
Richardson works two days a week at Belle, one day at Midland Trail and two days at Dupont Middle.
A graduate of Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, Richardson worked as a staff nurse in the pediatric unit at Charleston Area Medical Center and as a certified poison specialist at the West Virginia Poison Control Center before she started with Kanawha County Schools in 1991.
Over the years, she also has scheduled wellness fairs and health screenings for her schools, and has offered tobacco education and cessation classes for middle-school students.
Reach Davin White at davinwh...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1254.
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