MONROE - For Lori Soderberg, it's been a long and winding road to her dream job as school nurse for the Monroe school district.
After a career in clinical and hospital nursing, Soderberg has landed, ironically, in the same place she first worked when she came to Monroe more than 25 years ago: the third floor of the former Monroe Clinic building downtown. That building now houses the Monroe Public Library on the first two floors and the school district's administrative offices on the third floor.
Soderberg earned her medical assistant certificate from Blackhawk Technical College in 1979, then went on to get an associate's degree in nursing in 1982. That same year, she moved to Monroe to work as an RN at Monroe Clinic, working in orthopedics.
While raising her two children, Soderberg worked part-time as a labor and delivery nurse, taught childbirth classes and served as a lactation educator.
She also began working on a bachelor's degree in nursing. She took classes part-time through an outreach program Mount Senario held in Monroe and by traveling to University of Dubuque every Monday for about three years. It was slow going, she said, but in 2005, she began taking classes online through University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. She graduated with her bachelor's degree in May.
Soderberg admits she was a hesitant about going through the graduation ceremony as an older student. "I decided that I had worked hard and didn't worry about being with all those young college students. ... I have fond memories of going to see my maternal grandmother graduate from college when she was 52, so I figured I could do it in my 40s."
She finished her degree at just the right time.
"Every nurse at some point, I think, wants to be a school nurse," Soderberg said. But the job just isn't available very often in Monroe: Kathryn Etter was the nurse for 32 years, followed by Cheryl Deininger, who held the position for 16 years.
"I told my husband that if the job ever came open, I'm applying for it," Soderberg said.
And the job did come open when Deininger retired last year. Soderberg applied, got the job and started over the summer.
Things have changed for the school nurse over the years. Each school except the high school has a part-time health assistant, an RN who sees students suffering from common maladies. Soderberg is spending 15 to 20 hours per week at the high school to fill that need.
Much of what she does is triage, Soderberg said. It can range from "ice packs and Band-Aids for the little ones," to fevers and upset stomachs. Soderberg will take students' temperatures, and look at their ears and throat and listen to their lungs to determine if they should see a doctor. She also administers medications.
There's also less routine matters. Recently, Soderberg saw a student who had injured a tooth. After consulting Monroe Clinic's emergency room staff, she found a dentist who was able to see the student on short notice. The result was saving the parents a hefty dental bill later on, she said.
She also helps students with chronic health conditions. These can range from students with asthma and diabetes to those who have cancer or organ transplants. "You'd be surprised at the number of kids with chronic health problems coming to school every day," Soderberg said.
But there's a lot more than helping students with their immediate medical concerns.
"The goal is to maintain a healthy and safe environment so our kids can learn," she said.
To that end, education is another major component of her job. Soderberg must keep abreast of current health issues and see what, if any, local impact there may be - for example, checking with the food service staff to make sure there were no questionable peanut butter products being served during a recent recall.
She promotes health initiatives, such as National Handwashing Week in December. The district reinforced the importance of handwashing by installing hand sanitizers in school lunchrooms. Soderberg also is charged with wellness activities, such as flu shot clinics, for the staff.
Her job also puts her in the classroom for special presentations. She recently gave a Growth and Development presentation for fifth- and sixth-graders. To highlight the message of "respect," Soderberg had the students singing Aretha Franklin's classic anthem.
Then there's the whole barrage of school records her office must keep. The district must keep records of physical exams and immunizations required for students, and contact parents if a child's medical history is not current. These medical histories are constantly in a state of flux - "Every other day, we're getting new health conditions" on students, she said.
There's been a learning curve for Soderberg as she navigates state and federal regulations and figures out "what we can and can't do," she said. Deininger has helped her through this process, agreeing to work a limited number of hours to mentor Soderberg. "She's a been a great resource," Soderberg said.
She's relished the opportunity to combine nursing, teaching and interacting with students in her new role.
"It's a whole new type of nursing ... it's about one-third nursing, one-third education, and one-third Mom," she said.
"I absolutely love it."
After a career in clinical and hospital nursing, Soderberg has landed, ironically, in the same place she first worked when she came to Monroe more than 25 years ago: the third floor of the former Monroe Clinic building downtown. That building now houses the Monroe Public Library on the first two floors and the school district's administrative offices on the third floor.
Soderberg earned her medical assistant certificate from Blackhawk Technical College in 1979, then went on to get an associate's degree in nursing in 1982. That same year, she moved to Monroe to work as an RN at Monroe Clinic, working in orthopedics.
While raising her two children, Soderberg worked part-time as a labor and delivery nurse, taught childbirth classes and served as a lactation educator.
She also began working on a bachelor's degree in nursing. She took classes part-time through an outreach program Mount Senario held in Monroe and by traveling to University of Dubuque every Monday for about three years. It was slow going, she said, but in 2005, she began taking classes online through University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. She graduated with her bachelor's degree in May.
Soderberg admits she was a hesitant about going through the graduation ceremony as an older student. "I decided that I had worked hard and didn't worry about being with all those young college students. ... I have fond memories of going to see my maternal grandmother graduate from college when she was 52, so I figured I could do it in my 40s."
She finished her degree at just the right time.
"Every nurse at some point, I think, wants to be a school nurse," Soderberg said. But the job just isn't available very often in Monroe: Kathryn Etter was the nurse for 32 years, followed by Cheryl Deininger, who held the position for 16 years.
"I told my husband that if the job ever came open, I'm applying for it," Soderberg said.
And the job did come open when Deininger retired last year. Soderberg applied, got the job and started over the summer.
Things have changed for the school nurse over the years. Each school except the high school has a part-time health assistant, an RN who sees students suffering from common maladies. Soderberg is spending 15 to 20 hours per week at the high school to fill that need.
Much of what she does is triage, Soderberg said. It can range from "ice packs and Band-Aids for the little ones," to fevers and upset stomachs. Soderberg will take students' temperatures, and look at their ears and throat and listen to their lungs to determine if they should see a doctor. She also administers medications.
There's also less routine matters. Recently, Soderberg saw a student who had injured a tooth. After consulting Monroe Clinic's emergency room staff, she found a dentist who was able to see the student on short notice. The result was saving the parents a hefty dental bill later on, she said.
She also helps students with chronic health conditions. These can range from students with asthma and diabetes to those who have cancer or organ transplants. "You'd be surprised at the number of kids with chronic health problems coming to school every day," Soderberg said.
But there's a lot more than helping students with their immediate medical concerns.
"The goal is to maintain a healthy and safe environment so our kids can learn," she said.
To that end, education is another major component of her job. Soderberg must keep abreast of current health issues and see what, if any, local impact there may be - for example, checking with the food service staff to make sure there were no questionable peanut butter products being served during a recent recall.
She promotes health initiatives, such as National Handwashing Week in December. The district reinforced the importance of handwashing by installing hand sanitizers in school lunchrooms. Soderberg also is charged with wellness activities, such as flu shot clinics, for the staff.
Her job also puts her in the classroom for special presentations. She recently gave a Growth and Development presentation for fifth- and sixth-graders. To highlight the message of "respect," Soderberg had the students singing Aretha Franklin's classic anthem.
Then there's the whole barrage of school records her office must keep. The district must keep records of physical exams and immunizations required for students, and contact parents if a child's medical history is not current. These medical histories are constantly in a state of flux - "Every other day, we're getting new health conditions" on students, she said.
There's been a learning curve for Soderberg as she navigates state and federal regulations and figures out "what we can and can't do," she said. Deininger has helped her through this process, agreeing to work a limited number of hours to mentor Soderberg. "She's a been a great resource," Soderberg said.
She's relished the opportunity to combine nursing, teaching and interacting with students in her new role.
"It's a whole new type of nursing ... it's about one-third nursing, one-third education, and one-third Mom," she said.
"I absolutely love it."