School nurse, in a word, unflappable

Newton — Kittatinny Regional High School nurse Mary Ellen Leppert epitomizes the word “unflappable.” A seemingly endless flow of students amble through her doorway — some injured, some sick — and she never shows a hint of stress. “You can’t have a nurse freaking out,” she said, laughing easily, as she so often does with the students who seek her help. Leppert single-handedly sees 40 to 50 patients daily, and it’s not as if they trickle into her office in neatly spaced intervals. Sometimes, they arrive in spurts, occasionally filling her nine chairs and four beds. Leppert, a 10-year Kittatinny veteran, takes it all in stride. When it gets that busy, she practices triage, identifying and helping the sickest patients first. “We try to get them in and out as quickly as possibly,” she explained. But she never rushes, always making sure to ask the right questions. Besides, she’s seen her share of action. She started nursing in 1979 and worked at St. Mary’s Hospital in Passaic; St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson; Newton Memorial Hospital; and the Sussex County Health Department. She likes the idea of spending her days with children. Her expertise lies beyond medical. She has stitched up clothing in a pinch, removed gum from hair with a special substance she stocks and handed out spare clothes when needed. All in a day’s work also equals eighth- and tenth-grade physicals, vision screenings for driver’s education, and athletic physicals. Her daily activities vary with the season. Fall and spring usually are filled with sport injuries. Influenza, viruses, and respiratory infections take their toll during cold weather. She hands out five ice packs a day, and sometimes gets requests for special treatment. “Do you have any cool band-aids like Snoopy?” one freshman boy asked. “You’re a little too old for Snoopy band-aids, aren’t you?” she inquired. “You’re never too old for Snoopy band-aids,” he responded. Her least favorite days are when an ambulance must be summoned for someone seriously sick or injured. But it’s all part of the job. “She’s a woman of many talents,” remarked paraprofessional Sam Lasso, who is shown in the picture at right being administered to by Leppert. “I’m not fussy about band-aids,” she said. “Anything works when you cut your finger, even Snoopy.” By the way, you will note that the skeleton in the picture is wearing a red hat and muffler because of the cold weather. In Leppert’s job, humor also helps. Leppert offers these tips for keeping your children healthy: • Eat healthy. • Get exercise. • Get plenty of sleep. • Don’t send your child to school if they’ve had a fever of 100 degrees or higher in the past 24 hours. • Any child who has vomited before school should not attend school. • Wash hands frequently. • Sneeze into elbow to avoid spreading germs through hand contact.