Going above and beyond to provide more than just basic care, nurses Stacy Sarnell, Angie Schultz, and health aide Jennifer Jenness are vital parts of North. They have all worked 13+ years in the district, having their fair share of dealing with everything North’s students throw at them, and still find ways to make going to their office a more positive experience.

   “I love positively interacting with the kids while being able to joke around and give them a little tough love. But, in the end, it’s also about being aware of if there’s actually something serious going on,” Sarnell said.

   Seeing about 45 to 95 kids a day, they help many students throughout the school with things like fevers to the most common headache. Though they stay busy, they tend to enjoy the ride.

   “I love the girls that I work with. We make it fun and it’s always great to work together. I also really love the other staff that have been here as long as I have; those are some of my favorite people,” Jenness said.

   Before coming to North some of them worked elsewhere like elementrary schools. From having close family relationship, loving to read, being obsessed with bubblegum and Christmas, there is much more to the healthcare staff.

   “I worked at Alexander Doniphan for 11 years and was also a labor and delivery nurse for about 15 years. Some of that time was while I worked as a school nurse, and that is what led me to North,”Schultz said.   

   Regarding their reasons for working in the school health department, they all have different ones, but they have a passion for what they do.

  “I grew up with a very sick grandmother, and I was in and out of nursing homes and hospitals often. I just kind of connected with some of the nurses and decided that was what I wanted to pass on,” Sarnell said.