School nurse treats more than student illness
When the Schoharie Valley in upstate New York was flooded in Hurricane Irene in the fall of 2011, Sherry Roy, Schoharie Elementary School nurse, lost electricity for a week. That meant the electric fences on her farm didn’t work. Coyotes came in and killed 18 of her lambs.
As someone who’s owned cattle for years and went to Cornell for a pre-vet program, Roy is familiar with crises on a farm. But it was her calling as a nurse — she went on to nursing school instead of vet school — that kept her the busiest after the arrogant flood. As a member of the district’s Crisis Response Team, Roy had many tasks to handle at the school, working with Schoharie County health officials to contain an outbreak of pertussis and to immunize people from H1N1. The American Red Cross and the local fire companies were based at the school because their buildings were flooded. The start of the school year was delayed for a week when the flooding took out so many homes and businesses.
The vitality of the school nurse job came sharply into focus when school reopened.
“After the flooding, it seemed like everybody needed something,” said Roy, a member of the Schoharie Central Teachers Association. “They wanted a hug, or to talk, or to find a coat. I always have a supply of coats and snow pants.
“People were homeless and had nothing. Local businesses downtown were flooded and had no income. The bank even got flooded,” she recalled.
The school hosted a food pantry in its gymnasium for a month, Roy said, adding: “We focused on good meals in the cafeteria to keep the kids healthy,” said Roy.
Among the students, “there was a lot of mental stress. For the longest time, when it would start to rain, they’d get nervous,” said Roy, who is also a member of her school’s Wellness Committee. And, indeed, Schoharie has weathered several more floods, though not as devastating. Roy works with school social worker Chris Quandt to help coordinate care for students and, after the flood, other agencies came in to help students with their turmoil as well.
Roy has been working as a nurse at Schoharie Elementary School since 1997 and her commitment to her calling was honored this year when the New York State Association of School Nurses chose her as “School Nurse of the Year” for the Capital Region. She was feted at a local dinner and then at the NYSASN annual conference on Long Island in October.
“Sherry is a rock in the elementary school, “ said Martin Messner, local union president of the Schoharie Central TA. “ She is very approachable for the students, cares deeply about her job and goes above and beyond with her work.
“One of the examples of her commitment is her work on the Schoharie Teachers' 5-k race the last few years. She and her husband took over leadership of the run several years ago. They organize the shirts, medals, volunteers, sign-ups and advertising; they work with the town to set up the course and get hundreds of runners to show up on the day of the race. The proceeds from last years race were split between Schoharie flood recovery and the rest was sent down for
Sandy recovery efforts with the UFT.”
“She is a very deserving member of our Schoharie schools and the local community,” added Superintendent Brian Sherman.
Working with the community is part of Roy’s job as nurse, where the needs are often more than medical. The school has a Backpack Program through the Regional Food Bank to help provide food for students in need on weekends.
“We’re always trying to figure out how we can help families so kids can do better in school,” she said.
One of the ways she helps out is with the stackable washer and dryer now housed in the nurse’s office, which was obtained by saving box tops.
“We saved for an entire year. I use it for everything!” Roy said. She uses the machines to wash clothes or backpacks if something is soiled at school or if they family has no washing machine at home. The flood also took out the town’s Laundromat. Nurse Roy also uses the machine to wash hats and mittens that students may need to borrow on a cold day.
“I’m just trying to make life simpler for everybody,” said Roy, who annually attends professional development conferences to keep up-to-date on changes in school nursing and nursing practice.
“It gives me a chance to talk to other school nurses. We’re kind of isolated,” she said.
She said student needs are also helped by proceeds from the annual motorcycle Rolphie Run, anot-for-profit fund established to help children in need in Schoharie County, who are identified by teachers and school nurses, such as Roy. The event is named after Rolph Karker, an ophthalmologist from Cobleskill who was killed on his motorcycle when he hit an Angus bull. Roy said the fund has helped students with money for medications, eyeglasses, coats and school supplies. The fund has also helped send students to summer camp.
“These are my kids,” she said. “I have these kids forever.”
- Liza Frenette
(Sherry Roy is a member of Schoharie CTA)