With the arrival of flu season, students there has to be someone to help and nurse students back to health so they are able to attend their classes for the day.
This is where nurse Marci McLean-Crawford steps in. McLean-Crawford has been working at FVHS for 4 years and has been a school nurse for 7 years.
“Funny, being a nurse was not my first career choice,” McLean-Crawford explained. “I came from a long line of nurses and like many teenage girls I didn’t want to be like my mother. But eventually I gave into my destiny and I haven’t regretted it.”
Nurse McLean-Crawford graduated from FVHS in 1993. She played on the volleyball team and started the first Orange County chapter of Friday Night Live here. She was also a student athletic trainer.
“A nurse makes a difference. Attendance is a big thing with schools,” said nurse McLean-Crawford. “You can’t learn if you aren’t in your seat. You can’t be in your seat if you aren’t healthy. Having a nurse full-time at each comprehensive high school shows that this district values nurses and that they support students learning.”
Last February up to 25% – 38% of students were sent home from school when the nurse was not available.
“As a school nurse these days, it is rare that you get one school all day every day. In previous school districts, I have had up to five or six schools that I had to manage,” said McLean-Crawford.
“In my time away from FVHS, I work part-time at Dr. Tatoff, a laser tattoo removal place and I have 3 kids that keep me busy with their extra-curricular activities.”
Luckily Nurse McLean-Crawford has help from the health clerk, Mrs. Barragan. Mrs. Barragan has been working at FVHS for about two years and is always present, even when nurse McLean-Crawford has her days off.
“I do think that nurses should have a substitute just like teachers do,” Barragan said. “If the nurse is unavailable, the nurse should have a back up so kids wouldn’t go home so easily.”
