Gordon-Barbour’s Florence Nightingale

By Sandy James
Review staff writer

Published: June 5, 2008

As students filtered into her office with sore throats, itches, nosebleeds, and hurt arms on a Monday morning, she asked about their weekend and inquired about their pets, by name, as she assessed the problems and took steps to make everyone feel better.
Joyce Shoultz has been the school nurse at Gordon-Barbour Elementary School (GBES) for the last nine years. She started as a part-time school nurse in 1999, but went full-time in 2000.
“It has been really rewarding,” she said.
Shoultz worked in hospitals and nursing homes before deciding to be a school nurse.
“I always knew I wanted to work with children, so when I saw the ad for a part-time school nurse, I applied,” she said.
“In nursing school I worked with children a lot. They really put things into perspective,” she said.
“I got to know one little boy, David, who was very ill with leukemia. His mom was pregnant, and it was a high-risk pregnancy, so she couldn’t travel back and forth to be with him in the hospital. His grandma was there every day and I visited with him every day. We were all hoping blood from his new sibling’s umbilical cord would help him. He passed away on Christmas Eve and the baby was born on Christmas Day,” she said.
David and many other children have touched her life and helped her know where her skills are needed.
Shoultz has a granddaughter with medical problems. She has congenital scoliosis and has to wear a back brace 20 hours a day.
“She will have surgery after she turns 12,” Shoultz said.
“This is another reason I like working with children,” she said.
The door to her office is covered with cards and notes from students who appreciate her presence and kind demeanor.
She provides first aid and support to students with medical problems and administers medications.
“We have students with chronic problems like asthma. They need to use nebulizers and inhalers. We keep the medications here and dispense them as needed,” she said.
Shoultz also sees lots of playground abrasions. She said strep-throat has been a “biggie” this year in all the schools. Poison ivy and allergies are the most frequent complaints this time of year.
Shoultz does a whole lot more than patch boo-boos and administer medications.
She was helping with SOL testing two weeks ago.
She serves as a liaison between physicians and staff and works with the health department. She also works closely with the guidance counselor and provides emotional support to students.
She said one little girl would come in every day after lunch with a stomach ache.
“We talked about it and found she had ‘mathitis.’ She had math class right after lunch and big numbers made her stomach hurt. We talked with the teacher and the parents and worked things out,” Shoultz said.
She is pleased with the progress she has seen since she started at GBES. Shoultz is happy that there are eight schools and eight nurses, so there’s no longer a need for nurses to travel between the schools to serve the students, as was the case before she arrived.
The nurses meet monthly to discuss the issues they are facing. They also go to Camp Holiday Trails Nurse Retreat in Charlottesville yearly to hear from UVA Health Center doctors on childhood illnesses and treatments.
Shoultz is also proud of a Wal-Mart grant she applied for and obtained, that provided a cabinet and signage for the defibrillator, so staff can find and use it if necessary. (All the schools and the field house are now equipped with defibrillators.)
“The staff and administration members are wonderful to work with. We have a team here,” she said.
“Physical education teacher Mr. Hogan always helps with the height and weight measurements for the files. Principal Berry is wonderful. He listens to us when we have problems,” she said.
Members of the GBES staff and administration appreciate having Shoultz aboard.
“She’s an angel. She is the most caring person. She maintains the same temperament in every situation,” school secretary Debbie Bemis said.
“I am blessed to have a school nurse who cares so much about our kids.  She treats each of them as if they were her own and she seems to feel each of their aches and pains.  I recently overheard her telling a parent ‘I hope you know how much I love your child.’ It is because of Joyce and so many other staff members like her here at GBES that makes working here so special,” said Principal Bill Berry.
“Joyce is an outstanding school nurse. She highly professional and has excellent rapport with the students and staff. She is so perceptive and tuned in to the needs of the ‘whole child.’ She administers care not only to students who are ill and injured, but also to students who are hurting emotionally. I don’t know what we would do without her,” said Karen McKean, school counselor.
“We so appreciate Joyce. She is patient and kind with students and staff alike. She makes the building a friendlier and more caring place,” said Amie Salmon, art teacher at GBES.
“Every day Joyce greets our students at the front door with a smile. She never gets stressed, even as the students pile up in her office with a myriad of complaints.  She just calmly handles each one in turn. During the day, she runs between three buildings bringing daily doses of medicine (and a kind word) to students.  Joyce is one of those people who helps the rest of us stay glued together and keeps the building running smoothly. We are so lucky to have her,” said Charmaine Hogan, K/1 reading specialist at GBES.