Faculty Spotlight

List of 6 items.

• How did you become a school nurse?

  I was called and offered the position by the Head of School when the parents of a diabetic student requested a school nurse. I was already the parent of a first grader and fourth grader at MPS and knew people through volunteering with the PTO, so I thought it would be fun!

• What are the skills needed to be a school nurse?

  You need to be caring, empathetic, and detail oriented. You also need to have problem solving skills, stamina, communication skills, a sense of humor, and a commitment to patient advocacy.

• Why do you love working at MPS?

  My favorite thing about working at MPS are the well-mannered students and their wonderful, generous families! Many times, a situation with a child will turn into a friendship with the family. I have formed lasting relationships with parents over the years and love watching their children grow. I have a special place in my heart for the endless joy I receive daily from every child I see whether it is in the hall, on the playground, or in the health office. I especially love the cards and pictures students give me and I save every single one! Last but not least, the people I work with are supportive and are more like family than coworkers.

• What is the biggest challenge for you during COVID?

  I would have to say learning all the CDC and DHEC guidelines and explaining isolation and quarantine to parents (especially the lengthy quarantine periods). I am so grateful for the help I receive from Tiffin Lamoreaux, MSN, APRN, FNP-C. She is so kind to me and is the most patient person I know!

• What do you like to do for fun?

  I love:
  - going out in the boat
  - staying at our beach house on Seabrook Island
  - photography
  - going to Clemson every chance I get (I have a daughter who has graduated from there and one who is currently a student there, and I am the biggest Clemson fan in the family!)
  - walking
  - swimming
  - floating in our creek
  - shopping

• Any interesting facts about yourself?

  - In high school I was voted “Most Spirited” at cheerleading camp. 
  - I was also voted “Miss Congeniality” in my high school pageant. (I’m not a pageant girl – I entered with my best friend and it was fun!). I wish I was the lead in the movie, “Miss Congeniality.”
  - My mother-in-law was my first nursing instructor. She likes to say that she “chose” me for her son. I love that!
  - I met my husband at McAlister’s Funeral Home. We stopped by after our wedding to take a picture with the sign. It is framed and hangs in our dining room!
  - I love looking at all the medical stuff in stores.
  - I am a breast cancer survivor (5 years). I have the best surgeon in the country, who also happens to be the Dad of fifth grader Mahlon Kline. I chose him when my daughter needed surgery when she was little and decided if I could put her life in his hands, then he was the surgeon for me! I’m even more blessed to have him and his family as friends. dr. Kline has allowed me to encourage his patients prior to their surgeries and I’ve even visited a few while they were recovering in the hospital.
  - The best things that ever happened to me are my husband Larry (married 31 years on March 10) and my 3 children: Bailey (24), Madison (21), and Ryan (18).