Caring through Uncertainty with Mrs. Kate Tucker
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s one might expect, the role of school nurse has taken on a whole new meaning over the past two years. Although it has been anything but easy to juggle Bridgton’s healthcare needs throughout the pandemic, Kate Tucker, RN, the Academy’s nurse, has taken it all in stride. Despite the constant uncertainty, her care, compassion, and ever-present smile remain. This past spring at Commencement, Kate was honored for her amazing contributions to our community when she received the Cole-Dyer Award, which annually recognizes employees who make a significant difference in the daily workings of Bridgton Academy. Please tell us a bit about yourself—where you are from, your interests, and your family? I grew up in Gray, Maine, just outside of Portland, and love living in our beautiful state! I met my husband Josh while we were both living in Calcutta, India and we moved back to Maine together to start our family. We have five boys ranging in age from 5 to 15 years old and are dorm parents in Walker Hall, where we have lived for the last six years. We love to be outside taking advantage of all that this area has to offer. How has serving as the school nurse at the Academy changed over the past few years? It probably goes without saying that COVID-19 has changed the role of school nurse for every nurse around the world! Being in this role during a global pandemic has been a very unique challenge. I have relied so much on my coworkers and the leadership here to help guide the ship through these tough times. Although the job is certainly more challenging in a myriad of ways, the feelings of pride I have when it comes to how the Academy has navigated through these times far outweighs the difficulties. We have come together to make sure that we keep each other and our community healthy, while still being able to have some sense of normalcy. You have been a part of the COVID Response Team at Bridgton throughout the pandemic. What has your specific role been on the team? The COVID Response Team (CRT) has been meeting since the first stages of the pandemic, when we thought it might be a two-week problem. Nearly two years later, we meet weekly to discuss the national and local COVID-19 picture, and then use that information to dictate how our policies and procedures should be adapted to best support the Bridgton Academy community. Along with staying up to date with the most recent COVID-19 information and guidelines coming from the state winter 2022 15
