In the Spotlight
By Ms Sophie Davis, Radford College Nurse
When I was leaving high school, my godmother, amongst others, asked me the age-old question: “What are you going to do?” When I told her I was thinking of training to be a nurse she responded, “Oh no, that is all just dirty bums and bedpans”. I do love to tell her how these very rarely feature in most nursing situations (and actually, it is a privilege to be able to assist someone who may need this sort of assistance and do it in a dignified and caring way).
Years later, I found myself in a situation where my work-life balance needed to change, and fortuitously, I saw the position for a College Nurse at Radford advertised. When I discussed it with some of my nursing colleagues, they were quick to advise against it. “No, you don’t want to do that. It is all snotty noses and band aids.” Some days, I must admit, it does feel like that, but I have also been challenged in ways I could never have imagined.
We have such a vast community of young people, many of whom live with complex medical and mental health conditions. I am privileged to be able to walk with them for some of their journey at Radford and, hopefully, help them along the way.
No two days in this job are the same. On any given day, I might dress burns, clean wounds (oh, if I had a dollar for every grazed knee I see!), treat an anaphylaxis emergency, respond to a diabetic or epileptic crisis and tend to a broken bone. There are always medications to dispense and situations that need mental health and well-being support. This care is not just for students; there are occasionally also staff members who need assistance with medical or mental health conditions.
On top of this, there is much medical planning that goes into excursions, camps and immunisations, not to mention the commitments around policies and the Work Health and Safety Committee.
Some of my favourite experiences at Radford – but not without their challenges – are the camps. It is wonderful to experience first-hand how students gain confidence and resilience in these situations. I attended the Year 7 Camp earlier this year and witnessed many students overcome homesickness and the fear of the unknown to not just scrape through the experience, but to grow, thrive and enjoy it.
Being a school nurse is hard work, but very fulfilling. I wouldn’t change it for the world! I look forward to what the rest of 2025 at the College has to offer.
Some friendly advice: we are heading into cold and flu season. I strongly encourage our whole community to consider getting a flu vaccination, revisit hand hygiene routines, stay home when they are unwell and remember that mask wearing is acceptable!