At the end of the 2022-23 school year, Nurse Anne Nelson began a well-earned retirement leaving Shelby Turner as the Parker nurse. Turner has been working alongside Nelson for the past three years, but her journey to nursing began long before her years at Parker.
Initially, Turner started college as a business major, but her major changed when her mother was diagnosed with cancer her freshman year. “The nurses caring for her made a difficult experience better. I wanted to have a positive impact on people in the same way,” Turner said. Before her sophomore year began, she decided to transfer to the University of Missouri to pursue nursing. Since then, her mother has made a full recovery.
Lower School Dean of Student Life, Ashleigh St. Peters, emphasized how important Turner’s work is to the Lower School students.“Nurse Shelby. . . not only provides comfort and reassurance to the students but also to all of the teachers and families. Lower School students grow to trust and feel safe in the Nurse’s Office,” St. Peters said.
Before joining Parker, Turner worked at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She worked as a Clinical Coordinator where she managed six to seven nurses and three to four patient care technicians.
Unlike the blood draws and feeding tube placements she was responsible for at Northwestern, Turner’s work at Parker requires wrapping sprains, getting rid of splinters, and identifying common school illnesses. Working at a school means a smaller medical team with two full-time nurses and three substitute nurses.
Another major difference is the relationship she has with her patients. “At a school, you have the opportunity to work with your ‘patients’ for many years,” Turner said. “Over that time, you get to know each individual. You learn their personalities, likes, dislikes. This helps provide even better care. There’s nothing more rewarding than watching a student make a full recovery after a medical injury or simply grow up after years of attending Parker.”
One of the students Turner has treated is sophomore Naia Truckenbrod. “I once went to Nurse Shelby with a migraine, and her warm and welcoming attitude instantly helped me feel better,” she said.
How COVID-19 will affect the next school year is a looming question hanging over the heads of Parker faculty, staff, and students. When asked how she anticipates the school responding to the coronavirus over the next year, Turner said, “We can anticipate similar COVID protocols to what we had in place at the end of last year. Any updates will be shared with the entire community when they’re available.” If parents and students have questions about current coronavirus protocols, updated information is available through the Parker Nurses’ Office website.
Turner has become a crucial member of the Parker community through her work with students and close collaboration with faculty and staff. Executive Assistant to the Assistant Principal Margaret Dailey worked closely with Turner to manage coronavirus testing for the past three years.
“It was wonderful to collaborate with Nurse Shelby. We were able to bounce ideas off of each other and find the best solutions for everyone. She made scanning spit fun,” Dailey said. When asked what she thought made Turner unique, Daily said, “Nurse Shelby is a great nurse because she is kind, caring, and compassionate. She knows how to make everything better.”
