Photo by McKinley Hacker

Sarah Howard is the school nurse for GRC’s 1,800 students.

From the surface being the school nurse just seems like ice packs and bandages but for GRC Nurse Sarah Howard, the job is easier said than done. There’s much more behind the curtain than you might perceive, and Nurse Howard never knows what a day will bring.

Above all, Howard’s priority is keeping her students happy and healthy. Being a bedside nurse and working in the ICU and ER for years prior to arriving at GRC, she never got to see the side of her patients she is able to see with students.

“My favorite part of being a school nurse is watching the growth and maturity that happens with the students and getting involved in their lives. I want to see these kids walk across that stage,” she says. “Seeing these kids who have come in and struggled, really struggled to be here, and seeing them succeed in being here after we finally figure out what’s the issue.”

The difficulties she faces aren’t all just injuries. “We have to manage food allergies, mental health crises, and everything in between,” she says. “I get a lot of students who just don’t want to be here. It’s really just trying to work with them and try to figure out what the actual root of the issue is.”

Diagnosing students in the school building brings up a lot of questions for Howard. “Are they able to stay in school or do they just need to go home? That’s what we’re used for. I’ve had injuries that I’ve had to send out that I know is not something I can handle here,” she says.

Aside from the hands-on nursing, nurse Howard takes on many more tasks. “We are responsible for making sure immunizations are up to date so it does take a lot of work.” A busy day for her involves more than just seeing patients.

Taking on the job of the school nurse has given her a better understanding into the minds of the teenagers she sees daily. “I do see these mental health struggles every day and it has made me more compassionate and more empathetic to the teenagers and what they’re going through.” says Howard. “I have learned more about the mental health needs and struggles of the youth,” she adds.

It is a difficult but nonetheless rewarding job Nurse Howard takes on every day. “It does get a little crazy in here,” says Howard, “but we all love what we do or we wouldn’t do it.”