Blue Springs High School is one of the largest schools in Missouri, with at least 2,500 students, and we have only two full-time nurses, sometimes three, to serve our student body. Luckily, our talented, compassionate nurses are up to this challenging task and work hard daily to aid our students.
Heather Sharp: Heather has worked at Blue Springs High School for seven years. Her favorite part of the job is the students, and her least favorite part is when the seniors graduate. On average, she sees 50-100 students a day and 300-400 a week. Some of the scariest incidents she has encountered include seizures, especially those in undiagnosed students, students taking substances they shouldn’t, and weight class accidents, often resulting in broken bones. Heather plans to stay at Blue Springs High School until she retires. Her favorite seasons to decorate the clinic are Halloween and Christmas. She loves her job because of the connections she has made with people and students.
Amber Bouknight: Amber was a full-time nurse at Blue Springs High School last year but now splits her time between Blue Springs High School and Brittany Hill Middle School. She has been at BSHS since 2018. Her favorite part of the job is building relationships with students, and her least favorite part is dealing with rude and disrespectful students. On average, she personally sees 40-60 students a day, and together with Heather, they see about 130 students a day and 200 a week. The scariest incidents she has encountered include weight-class accidents, students taking substances, and school fights. Her favorite holiday to decorate the clinic is Christmas. Amber plans to work at BSHS until retirement. She finds it hardest not being able to help sick kids. The most common reasons students visit the clinic are for vomiting or to get out of class.
As a student who visits the nurse daily for a medical condition, I appreciate their help but also see them struggle due to the lack of support. It’s challenging for them to manage multiple students at once, especially when dealing with serious injuries like broken bones. While I am independent with my condition, other students who need immediate help often must wait because some students visit the clinic just to avoid class.
Our BSHS nursing staff are excellent at their jobs and work extremely hard every day to ensure all students in need receive the care they require. Nurses Amber Bouknight and Heather Sharp are passionate about working with our students, though this task can be overwhelming at times. With over 2,500 students, these dedicated nurses often find themselves stretched thin, and as a student who often needs medical attention, I believe BSHS school would benefit from having at least three full-time nurses to efficiently meet the needs of all students.
