A Day in the Life

School nurse examining student's throat using penlight
School Nurse, Emily Oium, examines a student's throat
LaFarge School District 
A Day in the Life: A Photo Essay of the Wisconsin School Nurses and the COVID-19 Pandemic


The Project:

Imagine what the COVID-19 pandemic would have looked like had we not had public health workers, acute care nurses, and physicians. It is not difficult for us to imagine the chaos that could have ensued had these healthcare workers been absent because we understand the role they play in keeping our communities healthy and safe. Now imagine what the COVID-19 pandemic may have looked like if Wisconsin schools did not employ school nurses. Fewer of us may be able to visualize this scenario because we lack an understanding of what school nurses do or the knowledge that they even exist.

This project tells the story of the Wisconsin school nurse with words and photos. We hope to provide the public with a better understanding of the physical and emotional toll the pandemic has had on school nurses. The goal of this project is to acknowledge and honor the role that school nurses played, historically and during the COVID-19 pandemic, to support the health and education of students.


The School Nurses:

Click on the school nurses' photos below to see their individual video and photo gallery.

Lara Beranek, BSN, RN, School Nurse, Edgar, Marathon, and Rosholt School Districts
School nurse smiling at student










Jenny Sauve, BSN, RN, School Nurse, Spring Valley School District




The Photographer and Project Director:
 

Teresa DuChateau, DNP, RN is a registered nurse and school nurse consultant.  Teresa is the co-founder and owner of School Health Associates.  Teresa has been an amateur photographer since she was a child.  She has a love of school health and photography and felt compelled to combine these two passions into a project that can shed light on the impactful, tireless work of school nurses and create a photographic record of this historical time period.





Project Funding:

This project is funded in part by a grant from Wisconsin Humanities, with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the State of Wisconsin. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Wisconsin Humanities Logo


Below is the link to the "A Day in the Life: A Photo Essay of the Wisconsin School Nurses and the COVID-19 Pandemic" webinar which was held on May 11, 2022, National School Day. We invite you to view the webinar and learn more about the important role that school nurses played during the pandemic. 

After you watch the webinar if you would be so kind as to take a few moments to answer a few questions about the webinar and the "A Day in the Life: A Photo Essay of the Wisconsin School Nurses and the COVID-19 Pandemic" project. 


For questions regarding A Day in the Life: A Photo Essay of the Wisconsin School Nurses and the COVID-19 Pandemic, please contact the Project Director, Teresa DuChateau, at Teresa@schoolhealthassociates.com