Beloved Sparta High School Nurse Retires

Written by: Sarah Dioneda 

Mrs. Schuman, the soft-spoken and kind nurse of Sparta High School, talks about the craziest moment she’d experienced in the nursing field. “[It] didn’t happen in Sparta [High School],” she explains, “but it was in elementary school when a Kindergarten student was walking in the playard and a stray dog came and bit off his ear. And the ear was on the ground, the boy was bleeding profusely, and I just…” She hesitates, then begins again. “That’s one thing about the medical field, you have to have a clear head in an emergency and keep calm. I just done everything I’d been taught to do to help.” (She then tells me later that his ear had been attached when he went to the hospital, thankfully).

But this is just one story of the many instances Mrs. Schuman has helped people in her many years as a nurse, albeit not as intense.  After 18 years working in Sparta High School, she is now retiring at the end of this month (January 2018), leaving Ms. Reigstad to follow in her footsteps.

“She got married recently. Her name is Mrs. Griffin, now,” Mrs. Schuman corrects, politely.

But before she became the beloved high school nurse we all know, Mrs. Schumann was just a student like all of us, studying at the University of Pittsburgh to get her Bachelors of Science and Nursing. For graduate work, she went to Seton Hall University and The College of Saint Elizabeth where she got her Masters in Education and her Masters in Health Sciences--a double masters. But she recognizes the new developments in the medical field and the necessity to learn more. “For this position, and in any medical field, it is very important to keep on the cutting edge. You’re always a lifelong learner, and you need to keep on learning,” she states with confidence.  

She carried this wisdom to the many jobs she had before her job in Sparta High School, working in psychiatric nursing, intensive care units for Neonates, public health nursing, and school nursing in several schools around the country, such as California and Colorado. “A lot of experience,” she says.

Had it been fun? I asked. Did she enjoy it?  It took a lot of work and dedication for many, many years, and it required great stamina. She smiles and nods. “Everyday is a new day. It’s always a challenge, but it’s new, and different things are always going on. I think that’s what kept it interesting and what made me passionate about it. In your work, you need to find something that you really want to do, and then when you’re doing it, it’s more fun and enjoyable, and it feels less like a job.”

When asked about the advice she’d give to students who would like to pursue a career in nursing, she simply replied, “You need to have perseverance, you need to have motivation, you have to be dedicated, and you have to be focused. If this is what you feel your calling is, it’s going to be worth it all.” But don’t worry; you’ll have many choices to choose from.

“It’s so diverse,” she continues. “For nursing, let’s say for example, you can choose from so many areas until you decide what is good for you. I love it. There are so many opportunities to work with people and help them make choices that are healthy” You can hear her passion and love for the medical field in her voice and emotions. It’s infectious, and makes you passionate about it, too.

Particularly for her, she likes working with younger kids. In her experiences at  Seton Hall and Drew University, she realized it was easier for people to adapt and learn to make healthier at a younger age than when they are students in college.

She cites an example of an unhealthy lifestyle choice: “What’s really changed in this field is the drug situation, substance abuse. I think that it’s more prevalent, more available, cheaper and so much more potent and dangerous [than it was before]. We need to get this message out. It’s an area I’m particularly interested in.”

I ask if this was something she wishes to pursue in after January. “It is. I would like to put energies into giving back more into the community.” She also plans on doing nothing too impulsive. “I lived in Sparta since 1977. This is my dream job, and I’m so happy to be here. My kids went through the school system here, and it’s a really special place for me… Now I would like to get involved more [in the community] because maybe I just didn’t have enough time while I was working.”

And her advice to Mrs. Griffin?

“I think that this developmental age level of teenagers is unique, and it’s refreshing because the students respond to genuineness. It’s important to be real; it’s not always just about what they have. If you’re just a good listener, you’ll see that there’s more underlying [factors than what they have]. Make yourself available to the student. It’s a big and busy school, but there’s only one nurse. Sometimes you’ll feel like you get caught up, but if you can take the time (even if not in that moment--just call them back) and listen, you can be a great influence in their life.”

And Mrs. Schuman set a great example. She is the archetype of generosity and understanding, providing comfort to those who were sick and in pain. It has been a marvelous 18 years with her, and with that said, Mrs. Schuman, you will be greatly missed. Enjoy your retirement, and come back to visit!