Our Nurse of the Week is Carrie Stephenson, a School Nurse at Bemis Middle School in Michigan. When Stephenson showed up for work on an ordinary Friday morning, she had no idea she would later be saving a seventh grader’s life as he began to suffer from a stroke.
Stephenson was called to a hallway to help a seventh-grader named Isaiah Griffin who was vomiting and drifting in and out of consciousness as he swayed back and forth. Realizing his vomit didn’t look normal, Stephenson insisted that he be taken to a hospital immediately via EMS transportation. However, the school nurse didn’t realize that the student she was helping had a blood clot an inch from his brain stem that was causing a serious and life-threatening stroke.
After an ambulance had been called, Stephenson sat with Griffin, checking his pulse and blood pressure, and watching his eyes and facial expressions while monitoring his breathing until paramedics arrived. Stephenson’s insistence that he be taken to a hospital immediately is likely what saved Griffin’s young life. Isaiah turned 14 just days after the emergency medical event. His blood clot was removed and while he now walks awkwardly and will need occupational and physical therapy to help his recovery, doctors are optimistic about his outcome.
Stephenson is in her third year as a nurse for the Jackson-Madison County School System and Griffin’s situation was the first time she had ever dealt with such a serious emergency. Students had been suffering from a stomach virus going around campus and when she received the call about a sick student, she assumed that’s all it was.
Looking back on the experience, Stephenson said she didn’t feel like she did anything but her job. However, Griffin’s mom was deeply grateful for Stephenson’s life-saving intervention. Stephenson also visits a nearby elementary school about once a week, but primarily works at Bemis Middle School. Not every school has a full-time nurse so Stephenson is thankful that she was there that day. Striving to learn from the situation, Stephenson hopes it will bring awareness to the local healthcare administration that a nurse is needed at every school in the district in case of emergency.
- Nationwide Shortage of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners Prompts Alternative Solutions from States - March 30, 2020
- Coldiron Senior Nurse Executive Fellowship Program Established to Enhance Development of Senior Nurse Executives - March 27, 2020
- Nurse of the Week: UW-Madison Nursing Student Marcela Hanson Crowdsources Childcare Help For Local Healthcare Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic - March 25, 2020