Lois Leon Interview

1. Name and Title as you would like it presented:

Lois Leon, R.N., B.S.N

2. School name where you work:

 Irene Lopez School

3.  How long have you been a school nurse?

I have been the school nurse at Irene Lopez School for 26 years.

4.  Nurses have a lot of options when deciding where to work. How did you choose to work for a local school and what has kept you in school nursing so many years?

I chose to work at a local school as my children were attending this school. I love providing nursing services to the students in my community. I am now servicing the children of previous students. I feel very connected to the families.

5.  What motivates you to make a difference for your students and community?

As a member of the community, I feel an obligation and passion to keep our students and families healthy. Trust has been built with community members. With this trust, families are more likely to follow through with recommendations to seek out health resources, such as the Phoenix Breathmobile which provides diagnosis and treatment for our asthmatic students.

6. What is one thing you’d like the community to know about school nurses?

School nurses are essential to keep students and families physically and emotionally healthy. Health education and promotion as well as chronic illness monitoring/treatment are vital to keep our students physically healthy and able to succeed academically. School nurses are also involved in monitoring the social emotional health of students/staff/community and linking them to resources on campus and outside of campus.