{"id":13793,"date":"2025-05-12T17:00:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T21:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/?p=13793"},"modified":"2025-05-12T17:00:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T21:00:14","slug":"from-the-er-to-elementary-a-nurses-unexpected-calling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/from-the-er-to-elementary-a-nurses-unexpected-calling\/","title":{"rendered":"From the ER to Elementary: A Nurse\u2019s Unexpected Calling"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Chrissy Love, a registered nurse at Strawbridge Elementary, never imagined that trading emergency room shifts for elementary school hallways would be the most fulfilling move of her career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I was doing this for my family… but I gained a family,\u201d she says, reflecting on her 12 years as a school nurse.<\/em><\/p>\n

From Emergency Rooms to Elementary School<\/h2>\n

Love\u2019s journey toward nursing began as a volunteer EMT. She quickly fell in love with the fast-paced, unpredictable world of emergency care but found herself frustrated by the lack of follow-up. \u201cI got frustrated with dropping them off and not being able to follow through,\u201d she recalls. \u201cSo I thought, I think I want to be a nurse.\u201d<\/p>\n

After 16 years in the emergency room, the demanding hours took a toll. As her sons reached school age, she desired more work-life balance. \u201cI was missing a lot of their life,\u201d Love admits. \u201cWhen I saw this position, it just fell at the right time. It improved our family life… and I had time for my boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

What began as a practical decision to align her work hours with her children\u2019s school schedule became a deeply rewarding career change.<\/p>\n

A New Kind of Emergency Room<\/h2>\n

Today, Love is the single medical professional in a building of educators at Strawbridge Elementary, a role that requires her to balance expertise with the unique needs of young children. On any given day, she might see 30 to 50 students, addressing everything from scraped knees to potentially life-threatening emergencies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey come to the clinic with what they consider their emergency \u2014 even if it\u2019s minor, it\u2019s big to them,\u201d she says. Her background in the ER allows her to confidently assess whether a child needs immediate medical attention or simply a reassuring word.<\/p>\n

\u201cI play detective because the way an elementary school child describes things may not be just standard things that adults would understand,\u201d she explains. \u201cI have to ask a lot of questions, observe them, and have great assessment skills to figure out if they just need a break or if something more serious is going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making a Difference Beyond Medicine<\/h2>\n

For Love, the connections she forms with her students are as meaningful as the medical care she provides. She\u2019s watched students grow from shy kindergartners to confident middle schoolers, many of whom return years later to visit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to get to know every single student,\u201d Love says. \u201cIf they feel like they make a difference here, I feel like they’re going to go far in life.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

One of her most memorable moments involved a student experiencing a severe allergic reaction. As paramedics wheeled the young girl away, she turned to Love and said, \u201cThanks for saving my life, Nurse Love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had given EpiPens countless times in the ER,\u201d Love recalls, \u201cbut this was different. I knew her… my skills made a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why VBCPS? Why Now?<\/h2>\n

Beyond the daily rewards, Love appreciates the work-life balance and sense of community that come with working in a school. \u201cI feel like a celebrity when I go out and see kids in restaurants,\u201d she laughs. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m making a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

For nurses considering the switch to school nursing, Love has a simple message:<\/p>\n

\u201cGo for it. Give it a try because you might find out that this is something you never knew you needed in your life.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

She adds, \u201cI had no idea this was going to be the best part of my nursing career\u2026 but I\u2019m not going anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Are you looking for a career that offers community, balance, and the chance to truly make a difference? VBCPS offers opportunities to shape futures\u2014and grow yours.<\/p>\n

Explore opportunities, meet our team, and apply today at <\/strong>www.vbschools.com\/careers<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chrissy Love, a registered nurse at Strawbridge Elementary, never imagined that trading emergency room shifts for elementary school hallways would be the most fulfilling move of her career. \u201cI thought […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":13798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[213],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-staff-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13793","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13793"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13793\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13799,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13793\/revisions\/13799"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}