In 1854, during the Crimean War, the British were unprepared to deal with the number of sick and injured soldiers, there was a lack of medical supplies, and there was overcrowding and unsafe conditions. In response, Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, and a team of nurses worked diligently to produce more favorable outcomes; they brought supplies, nutritious foods, and cleanliness/sanitation to soldiers. Florence Nightingale and her team transformed health care. This year, 2020, has been designated as the "International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife" in honor of the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth.
I would like to recognize Michele Kuhn, Community Health Nurse for continuing Florence Nightingale's work and demonstrating extraordinary compassion to the students, families, and community she serves. Prior to the pandemic, like many of the great nurses and techs, Michele would provide day-to-day care for her students and families at her assigned school, Lafayette Elementary. Not inclusive, Michele administered daily medications, attended 504/IEP meetings to make certain her students had the most appropriate accommodations in place for their health concerns, did care coordination to reduce the healthcare gap between the health care provider and the school, and she showed a genuine love for children's growth and development. In March 2020, when the pandemic hit, Children's School Services, the organization that provides the school nurses to DC and many public charter schools, was deployed to DC Health to assist with the global emergency. While many workers, medical and non-medical, scurried to their homes in search of safety, Michele asked, "What can I do?" Michele begged to be put on the front line. During the time that CSS was deployed to DC Health, Michele did COVID-19 testing for district residents and on days when she was not assigned to testing, she did contact tracing. Michele showed compassion to those who were afraid and not feeling well, and she educated everyone to the best of her ability on the current state of the global emergency. Michele calmed residents' fears with her calm and gentle voice. Now that Michele has returned to the school setting, she is preparing her health suite to be a welcoming environment for her students and families. Though she may be nervous, Michele is excited to continue the work to make sure those that she serves are healthy and safe. Michele works closely with her school leadership, she communicates with the community, and stays on top of the latest and greatest news to make sure that her students and families receive the best care! For these reasons and so many more, Michele is a true DAISY Nurse.