“You can accomplish anything in life through hard work and perseverance.”
Meet Ms. Casey Clarke, a nurse at Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech. Ms. Clarke majored in Nursing at Husson University and was also a former Voc-Tech student in Medical Assisting. Ms. Clarke knew she wanted to become a nurse during her senior year of high school after working alongside the wonderful nurses at her co-op job at Hawthorn Medical Surgery Center. She loves how rewarding and fulfilling it is to take care of others.
Ms. Clarke’s schedule as a nurse is always busy. On average, the nurse’s office has about 125-150 visits a day. She has to perform mandatory yearly screenings, review and document updated physicals, track immunization compliance, and create individualized health care plans. When she has extra time, she tries to build relationships with her patients and make them feel as comfortable as possible. It’s her favorite part of nursing. Ms. Clarke takes care of students when they’re not feeling well; physically, mentally, or emotionally. She does the best of her ability to ensure students are healthy and safe while they are in school.
The biggest challenge Ms. Clarke faces as a nurse is the unknown. She never knows what is going to come into the office or what accident will happen so she has to make sure she’s always prepared. Her greatest accomplishment has been getting through the COVID-19 pandemic as a new nurse. It was very challenging for her to learn the role of being a school nurse while navigating the pandemic. The guidance was constantly changing, making it difficult to keep up with.
Outside of school, Ms. Clarke loves spending time with her family, friends, and her two dogs Buddy and Coco. She likes to travel and go on vacation during the summer. Her goal is to get her master’s degree in education from Bridgewater State University and obtain her national certification in school nursing.
Article and Picture by: Soraya Hernandez, Senior Media Technology