Being a School Nurse: Taking Care of Complex Problems Every Day

By Barbara Pierce

“It’s a different type of nursing,” said registered nurse Sharon Bognaski, school nurse at Otto Shortell Middle School in the Oneida City School District, when asked to describe her position as school nurse.

“People think we just sit in our office and put a Band Aid or an ice pack on kids from time to time. You’re not a ‘real’ nurse, they think,” she said. “But we take care of complex medical problems every day.”

“I wear a lot of hats,” she said as she described what she does on a day-to-day basis. “I take care of the injured and sick kids. I’m a mother figure for many of them — often they just need someone to listen to them. I do all of that. On any day, there is so much we do.”

“Every day is different, from giving out medication — for ADHD, anxiety, headaches, even diabetes — I monitor the kids with diabetes with an ap,” she continued. “Sometimes I ask myself, ‘How can I do all that’s expected of me in one day?’”

“I love my job, though some days it’s crazy!” she stressed. “I love the kids. I love the people I work with. I love the school. I especially love the kids; they’re the bright spot of my day.”

“Yes, working with middle school kids is very challenging!” she said. “There’s a lot of drama with middle school kids. Their bodies are changing; their hormones are surging in puberty; it’s tough transition for them.”

“The pandemic had a huge negative impact on the kids,” she added. “So many more are reclusive or have anxiety.”

Since she was little, Bognaski wanted to be a nurse. When she was in high school, a great-aunt had a stroke and she helped care for her. “That’s when I knew for sure I wanted to be a nurse,” she said.

In high school, she attended the BOCES nursing program, then St. Elizabeth’s School of Nursing, a three-year program where she obtained her registered nurse degree. She went on to achieve her BA degree in nursing at SUNY Poly. A BA nursing degree is now required to be a school nurse.

After getting her degree, she worked at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, at hospice and as an occupational nurse, in these nursing positions for 14 years.

“I loved those jobs! That’s a great thing about being an RN, there are so many avenues you can take,” she said.

Bognaski, who lives in the city of Oneida, accepted a position as school nurse at Oneida Elementary so that she could have the same schedule as her two children, with time off during summers.

“Before then, I felt like I had no time to be with them,” she said. “That’s a lot of the reason I got into school nursing, though the pay is terrible compared to a hospital.”

As the position at Oneida Elementary was part-time, when a full-time nursing position became available at the middle school, she accepted it and has worked there since 2009.

She’s seen many changes in school nursing since she began.

“Nursing has changed,” she said. “It was a lot easier when I started. There are a lot of mandates from New York state, making for a lot of paperwork. There’s so many more protocols and requirements. As I take care of the kids, so much has to go into the computer!”

And she’s concerned that kids have gotten sicker over the years. Perhaps because they have a sedentary lifestyle; they play video games instead of going outside to play, to ride bikes or roller skate. And their diets are unhealthy — they don’t eat fruits or vegetables; they don’t drink milk, she said. Many kids don’t have a primary doctor, she added; if they’re sick, parents take them to the ER or walk-in clinic.

School enrollment in the area has been falling; there are now 400 students in Shortell Middle School. It was 576 at its highest.

Challenges Bognaski faces include being the only medical professional in the building, which means many things come her way to be solved. And it’s a busy job; “It’s a two- or three-person job on some days,” she said. “I just keep plugging on. We do have an LPN who floats between schools; I can call her if things get too overwhelming.”

Another challenge is that there is no substitute nurse, no back up. “So we hardly ever get days off as we have to cover for each other,” she said. “There are six public schools and two Catholic schools in the district; we cover for each other.”

When asked to describe what qualifications are needed to be a successful school nurse like Bognaski, she replied: “You need to be caring and kind, a good listener, empathic, very organized, detailed, have great time management skills, the ability prioritize tasks, and work independently.