Noelle Nightingale, a school nurse at Info Tech HS in Queens, takes part in the UFT fete.
The UFT School Nurses Chapter celebrated its members at the union’s annual School Nurses Appreciation Dinner at UFT headquarters on May 8, National School Nurse Day. “I make it my business to go all out on National School Nurse Day,” said School Nurses Chapter Leader Cynthia Bennett, who organizes the dinner every year. “The nurses are hidden figures in our schools.” Bennett said the school nurse’s job is often inaccurately reduced to “boo-boos and Band-Aids.” Given that most schools have only one nurse, Latonya Hicks, a nurse at PS 369 in Brooklyn, said she appreciates opportunities like the dinner to “make connections so we can support each other when we need to support each other.” Noelle Nightingale, a school nurse at Information Technology HS in Queens, entered the nursing profession later in life. Despite the challenges, Nightingale has no regrets about her decision. “Nursing has taught me a lot about life and a lot about myself,” she said.
