“Beyond Treating Illnesses, We Help Students Understand Their Health”

“I have been working as a school nurse for six years now. My main responsibility is to provide first aid and basic nursing care to stu­ dents. This includes responding to emergencies such as collapse and breathing difficulties, as well as carrying out minor procedures like wound dressing. We also at­ tend to students with minor ail­ ments such as malaria, typhoid and skin infections. These condi­ tions are managed based on the signs and symptoms presented by the students and the nurse’s assessment. When necessary, stu­ dents are referred to a health fa­ cility for further medical attention. Another important part of our work is giving health education and general hygiene talks to stu­ dents. These talks help them un­ derstand the importance of per­ sonal hygiene, cleanliness and healthy habits. However, working as a school nurse comes with some challenges. One major challenge is dealing with students who sometimes provide false information about their health. Some students pre­ tend to be sick simply because they want an exit card to leave school. This can make it difficult for us to determine whether a complaint is genuine and requires medical attention. Another chal­ lenge is the lack of certain equip­ ment for conducting minor tes...