What it Means to be Your School Nurse

Welcome to another school year!

In case you are a new family or we have not yet met, I’d like to tell you a little bit about what I do as your school nurse.

Nurses are a unique group of professionals whose primary role is to care for and teach our patients in whatever setting we are in.  I am a Master's prepared RN with a specialty in School Nursing allowing me to also hold a teaching certificate (Certified School Nurse or CSN).  This background equips me to have the knowledge and skills necessary to care for your child in the school setting and also to design teaching plans to educate your child on a variety of health-related topics.  Teaching your child in the classroom about healthy eating and being active every day, the importance  of proper hand washing, and ways to decrease stress and boost mental health are my favorite part of my job!

Did you know that 20-30% of school-aged children have a chronic illness?  A big part of my job is to make sure there is a plan in place to address any health concerns your child may have while at school.  Educating our wonderful staff about these health concerns and how to handle them is another important role I have.  The CSN also attends Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) meetings and advises the team on health-related concerns as they influence your child’s education.

In short, the CSN is uniquely able to connect education with health and safety, helping our school to achieve the goal of educating each student to achieve personal excellence!

Because we all know that:

HEALTHY CHILDREN LEARN BETTER!

Please stop by or call my office any time!  Hope you all have a great year!

Susy Marcum, MSN, RN

National & Illinois Certified School Nurse

Unit 5 Nursing Department Curriculum Chair