School nurse Regina Wilson has learned to expect the unexpected during her ten years at Ridgeview Elementary School. Prior to that, Wilson worked at Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital in the Pediatric ICU for 17 years.
“I love the kids. That’s always been the thing for me. That’s why I got into pediatrics to start with. My goal is always to try and get them to smile before I send them back to class.”
Working at Ridgeview is a win-win for Wilson because she loves the kids and North East ISD. Growing up, she attended El Dorado Elementary School and Wood Middle School before graduating from Madison High School. Her kids are also products of NEISD. When asked which teachers or coaches impacted her growing up, one coach, in particular, came to mind.
“Karen Funk was my high school volleyball coach and had a huge impact on me,” said Wilson. “She was always very positive and supportive. She knew how to push you and develop you into a good athlete and a good person.”
Today, Wilson is doing her part to develop Ridgeview students into good citizens who value their health. This practice includes everything from applying Band-Aids, cleaning scrapes, communicating with parents, and, on occasion, saving someone’s life.
“You never know what’s about to walk through the door. Recently, a student got in an ant bed and we didn’t know she was allergic to ants until that moment. That child had a severe allergic reaction so I did have to give them a shot of epinephrine.”
Performing life-saving measures is part of the job for NEISD nurses. Instances like this happen every year and our school nurses are always there to assess the situation and act quickly to ensure our students, staff and visitors are safe. For some families, our school nurses could be the only medical professional they interact with. Our nurses and clinic assistants play a crucial role in our communities and have helped us all navigate the uncertainty and stress of the pandemic.
This week is National Nurses Week and Wednesday, May 11, is National School Nurse Day.
Thank you to the nurses and clinic assistants who work so hard to keep our students, staff and visitors safe and healthy.
