By Laura Raines

For AJC Jobs

As nursing supervisor for Paulding County schools, Nancy Wood never knows what she’ll encounter on any given day. But she does know what attitude to bring.

Barry Williams, Special Nancy Wood makes sure McKenna Helbing, 13, takes her glucose count correctly at Sammy McClure Middle School.

Barry Williams, Special

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“I ask myself, ‘If this child were mine, how would I want him to be taken care of?’ I’m the advocate for all my kids,” she said.

Wood, 63, who started the school nurse program in Paulding County 10 years ago, used her 20 years of experience working in the emergency room at WellStar Paulding Hospital in that endeavor.

“It was the perfect background for school nursing, because every day is different and you always have to be ready,” she said.

Wood helped convince the county that a nurse was needed at every school, not only to treat day-to-day viruses, cuts and scrapes, but to care for children who have epilepsy, diabetes, asthma or allergies. She also saw a need to help students who are undergoing chemotherapy, or have tracheotomies or other special needs.

Wood hires all nurses, purchases supplies and travels the district to write medical plans and hold after-school meetings with teachers and parents.

“The teacher is the educator, but my goal is to help the teacher understand more about this particular child’s needs or disease process, so that she can better teach him,” Wood said. “Our job is to support the child and the educational process.”

“Nancy has always been the support a parent could always depend on. She strives daily to put the children in our school system [as] top priority,” wrote Deborah Whitworth, whose son has scoliosis.

Wood, who became a part of the boy’s life when he was in 5th grade, has helped teachers understand his limitations and has worked to make his life easier. He’s now a senior in high school.

“There are certain things he cannot do. We had to find a safe place for him during tornado drills, because he can’t assume the normal crouched position,” Wood said.

After the boy had back surgery in 7th grade, Wood visited him in the hospital, which is not unusual for her. Whenever a child is taken from school in an ambulance she stays at the hospital until a parent arrives.

“Nancy has told me several times that her job is for the children,” Whitworth wrote. “She is there for the best interest of them all. Nancy does this from her heart, and you can see this in her actions and in her kind smile.”

“I always wanted to be a nurse. I’ve loved it for 42 years,” Wood said. “This job gave me the opportunity to set the bar high for quality nursing care in Paulding schools.”