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Katherine Robeson, Dynard Elementary's school nurse, is honored for excellence
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by REID SILVERMAN
Katherine Robeson, school nurse at Dynard Elementary, checks the temperature of third-grader Hailee Kosack in the school's health room last Wednesday. Robeson has been named Maryland School Nurse of the Year.
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The day started off with a couple of stomach aches. A student got sick on the bus. One student had her earrings in incorrectly and her ears were bleeding. A few children were running a temperature, and parents needed to be called. There were bug bites, bumps on heads and a bad rash.
And that was just in the morning. The need for a wheelchair would come in the afternoon.
As the school nurse at Dynard Elementary, a school in Chaptico with approximately 515 students, Katherine Robeson takes care of it all. "You never know what's going to walk through the door," she said last Wednesday.
Robeson is being honored for how well she handles "whatever walks through the door." She has been named Maryland's School Nurse of the Year by the Maryland Association of School Nurses. The award recognizes nurses who demonstrate excellence in school nursing practice and leadership in school health.
"It is very exciting," said Trish Wince, supervisor of health for St. Mary's public schools, who nominated Robeson for the honor. "She is just such an exemplary nurse. So, I knew she would be a good candidate. She has a really high caliber of professionalism. She takes things on and develops programs to meet the needs. She's a leader."
As Maryland School Nurse of the Year, Robeson will now be considered for National Association of School Nurses' School Nurse of the Year award. That winner will be announced in January.
Robeson said being named Maryland School Nurse of the Year is the highest award she has ever received. Nevertheless, she was even more honored, she said, that her supervisor wanted to nominate her for the award.
"The thing that meant the most to me … was that she thought enough of what we were doing here … That would have been enough for me," Robeson said.
In addition to her work at Dynard, Robeson became an instructor/trainer for first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillation through the American Red Cross and provided that training to the school system's new school nurses. She also served as a team leader, responsible for coordinating annual training for more than 350 school system employees.
This is Robeson's ninth year at Dynard. She also served as the school nurse for one year at Park Hall Elementary. Before that, she worked at St. Mary's Hospital, including work in the pediatric section. In 1993, she was named Pediatric Unit Nurse of the Year at the hospital. She earned an associate's degree at Charles County Community College, now the College of Southern Maryland, and her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Maryland at Baltimore.
She is the wife of Kenny Robeson and the mother of Lauren, 20, a student at Fordham University, and Brian, 17, a senior at Chopticon High School. The family resides in Mechanicsville.
By the afternoon last Wednesday, both beds in the Dynard health room were filled. A girl with a temperature waited for someone to take her home. In the other, a boy nursed an ear that had been hurt playing kickball.
"Ohh, that was my favorite," Robeson said about kickball as he explained what happened to him.
Robeson asked him questions to determine how serious the injury was ("You don't have any ringing in your ears at all?), all the while dealing with a stream of students coming in to bring a book bag to the sick girl going home, bringing notes, asking questions. Robeson gave the boy something cold to hold against his ear and let him lie down while she washed her hands … again.
Then she got the call. The teachers at fourth-grade recess thought they needed a wheelchair on the playground. So, Robeson pulled out the wheelchair and took a walk to the playground. A boy lay on the ground completely still with a teacher squatting next to him. The students playing soccer had halted their game and had taken a knee. Robeson calmly spoke to the teachers and the boy on the ground. She asked questions, examined the knee in question, helped him up and wheeled him away. The other students applauded.
As it turned out, nothing was broken. After resting in the health room with his leg propped up on a soft blanket, the injured boy said he felt better and was allowed to go back to his classroom.
The most challenging emergencies Robeson has had to deal with in her career in the schools involved seizures. Once, an adult visiting the school for an event had seizures. And another time, a student suffered from seizures when the child had not been diagnosed with that problem previously.
Robeson also regularly deals with students who have emergency care plans on file — students with severe bee sting or food allergies, diabetes, a couple of students prone to seizures and one or two with blood disorders. She administers medications to a regular group of students.
"It is challenging," Wince said of the school nurse job.
To Robeson, the most difficult part of the job is not knowing what she'll need to deal with. "And hoping you will know" what to do when it happens, she said. "You just do your best."
Her favorite part of the job? "Oh, the kids," she said right away. "They're just awesome. You never know what they're going to say. The smiles they give you."
That afternoon, a delegation from the school system's central administration office visited Dynard to congratulate Robeson. Superintendent Michael Martirano brought her balloons and school board members Bill Mattingly and Cathy Allen congratulated her. Martirano got on the school's speaker system and had the whole school cheer and applaud Robeson.
"We are really proud of you," he said.
"It's all been a little overwhelming," Robeson said, holding her balloons.
What they say about her
"In my 21 years in education I have never worked with a nurse as talented as Katherine. She is the ‘entire package.' She is kind-hearted, hard-working, humble and sincerely devoted to being an integral part of our school team and making it a safe and nurturing environment for all who enter our doors."
Kim Summers, former principal at Dynard Elementary, current principal at Evergreen Elementary
"When children are not feeling well and/or injured they often want their mommy. Well, Katherine is the next best thing. She understands children and comforts them in their time of need. She handles the simplest ‘Band-Aid' issues to the emergency crisis situations with the utmost care, professionalism and kindness."
Denise Coyne, former Dynard counselor, now at Evergreen
When she acts as "a teacher in the classroom, she is able to relate to kids of all ages and never talks down to them. No question is too insignificant or ridiculous to answer. She is always smiling and her office is relaxing and soothing. She helped us to stay calm in the midst of anguish."
Nicole and Christopher Cullins, former Dynard students
"She exhibits just the right amount of tender loving care and the mom factor … It is evident to all that know her that she is dedicated and passionate about her position in the school. She is not just the ‘school nurse,' she is the go-to for all types of information including nutrition and parenting advice."
Lynn Cullins, parent of Dynard students
"We're a school system that cares about people … and you just exemplify that."
Superintendent Michael Martirano to Robeson
"She's got everything under control in a medical situation … She is so on top of all [the students'] needs. She is amazingly thorough."
Andrea Owens, principal at Dynard
"Mrs. Robeson is an icon at Dynard Elementary. The quality of care she gives to both the students and staff is well above the standard. She takes the time to know each student individually; knowing when a student is in true need of medical attention or possibly in need of a little extra tender, loving care, so that he or she can get back to the classroom."
Cathy Novak, fifth-grade teacher at Dynard
