What’s it like to be a school nurse during the pandemic?

A local nurse says the job has changed dramatically. “We’re dealing with the workload of a public health care department without adequate support.“

WBEZ
Gloria Barerra is president of the Illinois School Nurses Association. Courtesy of Gloria Barerra / WBEZ
WBEZ
Gloria Barerra is president of the Illinois School Nurses Association. Courtesy of Gloria Barerra / WBEZ

What’s it like to be a school nurse during the pandemic?

A local nurse says the job has changed dramatically. “We’re dealing with the workload of a public health care department without adequate support.“

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COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and other mitigation efforts have a heavy presence in schools this year.

A lot of those responsibilities have fallen on the school nurse, who in some cases is spread across multiple buildings.

WBEZ education reporter Susie An spoke with Gloria Barerra, president of the Illinois School Nurses Association and a nurse at a suburban high school, to see what day-to-day life is like for nurses during the pandemic.

Press listen above to hear the conversation.