During National Nurse Week, PWCS recognizes the dedicated school nurses and clinical leaders who play a vital role in supporting student health, wellness, and academic success. From hands-on instruction to divisionwide health initiatives, these professionals ensure students are healthy, safe, and ready to learn.

PWCS school nurses go beyond traditional medical care, educating students and staff, mentoring individuals one-on-one, and leading programs that improve health outcomes for tens of thousands of students across the division.

Supporting Health Through Education and Connection

At Occoquan Elementary School, school nurse Lyzette Terman has led a variety of health education campaigns to empower both students and staff for American Heart Month, National Kidney Month, Poison Prevention Week, and seasonal topics such as heat and sun safety.

Through targeted lessons and outreach, she helps build awareness around healthy habits, prevention, and overall wellbeing, creating a school environment where health education is accessible and engaging.

“What I find most rewarding is knowing that the small things I do each day help keep students safe and build healthy habits early on,” Terman said. “I also love supporting and educating staff so we can all work together to create a safe, healthy school environment.”

At Loch Lomond Elementary School, school nurse Margaret Rau works directly with students in the classroom, providing health instructions that supports wellness. For younger students, she teaches foundational health skills like handwashing, dental care, sleep, and nutrition. For older students, Rau teaches personal hygiene, safety, and “Safe at Home, Safe Alone,” a class designed to teach students how to handle basic medical situations.

In addition to whole-class instruction, Rau serves as a mentor and advocate, building trusting relationships with students who need extra support. As a school nurse in a Title I school, she sees this work as essential. “School nurses use their medical knowledge and community connections to advocate for students and families who may not be able to advocate for themselves,” Rau said. “That is my incentive and my calling.”

Leading Divisionwide Health Initiatives

Beyond individual schools, PWCS clinical leaders oversee a range of essential programs that safeguard student health, promote wellbeing, and ensure compliance with state requirements across the division.

As a clinical team leader, Janice Klein oversees the division’s vision and hearing screening program, serving more than 30,000 students annually and supporting early intervention.

“By identifying vision or hearing issues early, we help ensure students can fully engage in the classroom—often before challenges affect their academic success,” Klein shared.  “Leading a program that serves a large number of students also allows me to build a strong nursing team and effective systems that provide consistent, equitable care to every child.”

Clinical team leaders Kristen Mikkelsen and Nicole Donnelly have played a key role in refining and implementing initiatives like the division’s immunization program. Their work helps ensure students meet Virginia immunization requirements and supports public health across the division by coordinating onsite immunization clinics at schools, making it easier for families to access required vaccines.

“PWCS nurses do amazing things every day for their students,” Mikkelsen said. “Having onsite immunization clinics is just one initiative that I have the privilege of spearheading. It’s an important way to ensure the health and safety of students.”

Through divisionwide leadership, collaboration, and continuous improvement, they help families navigate compliance while keeping student health a top priority.

“These clinics play a key role in promoting student health while strengthening the wellbeing of our entire school and surrounding community,” echoed Donnelly.

Whether working directly with students and families or leading critical health initiatives behind the scenes, PWCS nurses make a lasting impact every day. During National Nurse Week, we celebrate their expertise, compassion, and leadership—and thank them for their unwavering commitment to student health and wellbeing.