School Nurse Superpower Nominees

I am nominating Paula K. De Hart as Super Nurse for National Nurses Week. Nurse Paula has dedicated 34 years of her heart and expertise to staff, students, and parents at Phoenix Day School for the Deaf (PDSD). She joined the Student Health Center at PDSD without knowledge of American Sign Language (ASL), and submerged herself in deaf culture and language to better serve the Deaf community. Paula not only met the health needs of students and staff with her nursing expertise, but she also supported parents with education and guidance. An additional duty taken on by nurse Paula was the day-to-day documentation of tracking student attendance for 32 years. Attendance tracking was a passion of hers as she played a vital role in keeping students healthy and safe and reducing chronic student absenteeism, enabling them to achieve their maximum learning potential. Aside from her daily nursing tasks, Paula also expressed interest and enjoyed organizing and collaborating with her coworker (nurse Patty) on numerous school events to celebrate students and staff. Events such as an ice cream social and a spaghetti dinner with nostalgic decorations and fitting uniforms. Another major event was the Family Counts II, where a Victorian brunch and lunch for staff was organized and hosted by nurse Paula and others. Two hundred door prizes were solicited and donated from local Phoenix businesses and given to staff as thank-you gifts for all of their hard work. She then organized and hosted a community sponsors’ appreciation event (which included Arizona Public Service [APS], Shriners Children's, and local physicians & optometrists). Nurse Paula and her coworker, Patty, were truly “purveyors of fine pleasantries”. She organized annual sports physicals for students involved in school sports, with a local physician, one of her many community contacts. Paula organized a school health fair on campus with participation from Arizona State University, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, local police, and others. She contacted Blue Cross Blue Shield for a visit from the Health Safari, which provided health screenings for our students. Paula formed relationships with the Medical Home Project (free healthcare) and the AFCCA Foundation for Children (funds for free optometry exams and glasses) to help our underserved and underprivileged students. A major win for our school, due to nurse Paula’s drive for excellence, was when she collaborated with another staff member and the Arizona State Legislature, promoting PDSD. Eventually, her selfless lobbying, with team involvement, contributed to the new administrative building on the PDSD campus. Paula dedicated countless hours to researching and reviewing our school’s Emergency Operations Plan as a member of our Safety Committee. She further spread good vibes around campus by participating in the Sunshine Committee and inventing the Secret Pal program. Furthermore, Paula was a driving force behind the new shoe program and Christmas Angel Tree program in conjunction with APS/Palo Verde. She was recognized by the Palo Verde Generating Station for her commitment, dedication, and hard work for our children. Nurse Paula possesses a superpower!