Nurse Charlie

First responders are not just limited to police, fire, and ems. We owe a lot to our school nurses! We speak with Nurse Charlie from Farrar Elementary School.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:16

Welcome back to Tennessee Road Call. I'm Rocky Grewing. I'm Tyler Wallace. And my co-host Tyler Wallace hadn't been here in the past like two or three times, but that's okay. Yeah, I blew you off. Was it last week or the week before?

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Yeah. Why did you do that? Why did I do it? Oh, I had to go to the range. Go to the range.

SPEAKER_02 0:36

Yeah. You blew me off to go shooting at the range.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

I had to.

SPEAKER_02 0:42

They made me. How in the world do you pay off your mortgage and your car and all like that when you don't even come to work?

SPEAKER_01 0:49

How was that work actually? This is your main job. Well, you still haven't paid me the three million from last episode. It's it's coming. It's coming now. Well, gases went up. Um, you know, so I think four mil for this episode is appropriate. I'd like to meet your accountant. Me too.

SPEAKER_02 1:07

Yeah. Because he's either really, really good at his job or he's a full-only alcoholic. I haven't figured that out yet. Could be my wife. I don't know. We gotta straighten up.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

We have a guest.

SPEAKER_02 1:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

We can't be doing it. We do have a guest. Yes. And our guest today is Charlie Owens, nurse at Farah Elementary. Correct?

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Correct.

SPEAKER_01 1:22

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 1:23

We're glad to have you on today. Uh Tennessee Roll Call is we uh represent our first responders here, and one of the things we like to do is break that hold that it's not just police, fire, and EMS. We have them on the front lines in our schools, and we have one of the best with us here today. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Charlie. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_00 1:43

Well, I graduated nursing school back in 2006, so it's been a minute. I've been with my school since 2019, got to experience all the COVID fun. I am married. I have a daughter who is almost 15.

SPEAKER_02 2:00

So it's real.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

No, no, not at all.

SPEAKER_02 2:05

And a lot of people would remember your husband from being the town pharmacist.

SPEAKER_00 2:09

My husband was a pharmacist at CVS for a really long time.

SPEAKER_02 2:13

Yes, we he was the face of the that pharmacy here in Tellahoma. So because I know when I went there, I'd always see him.

SPEAKER_00 2:20

He was very trusted for sure.

SPEAKER_02 2:22

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

But I'm glad he's retired and at home now.

SPEAKER_02 2:25

Oh, I don't yeah, absolutely. We all have to, I'm looking forward to retirement myself. So it's gonna be a few years from now, though. Yeah, it's gonna be a while. Nurse Jolly, reason why we got you here. We wanted to bring you on so you can kind of get everybody ready for the upcoming school year. It's gonna be starting pretty soon, and just kind of give parents out there what to expect when their kids come back. So, can you give us a little bit of background on that?

SPEAKER_00 2:49

So, first of all, be looking, I know it's been posted on Facebook. We're having a back to school bash for parents where they can come in, they can get you know links to different resources. We will have all the forms there if your child needs medication at school. There's always paperwork for that. Right. So we have all the paperwork that they'll need. We'll have it that night if they want to swing by and pick that up.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

And when is that gonna be?

SPEAKER_00 3:16

I wish I could remember that. Oh, really?

SPEAKER_02 3:18

We are on the ball.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

It is this month. That's what I got.

SPEAKER_02 3:24

Well, this will stay on the this will stay on TV and radio for like way down the road. So it's gonna be expired soon anyway. But go ahead.

unknown 3:31

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

So, you know, nurses will go back July 17th this year.

SPEAKER_03 3:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:37

And once we go back, we are, you know, we hit the ground running. There are meetings, but there are also days spent. We have to go through the health information for every single student. Even if we have had them there for several years, we always look at the health information as if they're a new person. Never know what's changed. So parents, when they fill out the skyward information to register their child, pay close attention, be as thorough as you can because it is seen, it is documented. We will let other teachers know if they've got a student with a particular issue. You know, we tend to let it make sure that student's covered. So there's that. There's also typically an orientation night.

SPEAKER_03 4:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:25

Usually the week before school starts. I don't think any dates have been released yet. But go to that orientation night, meet your child's teacher, meet their principals, meet their SRO, meet the off, you know, all the office staff, and the nurses will actually introduce themselves as well.

SPEAKER_03 4:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:45

If you have any particular needs, let us know. You know your kid best. So tell us, give us a heads up. If you know, you know, if your child gets migraines and you know that this is a precursor to those, tell us because that's what I'm gonna look for.

SPEAKER_02 5:01

And if they keep anything, even a Tylenol at school, they have to go through you and get it going. Yeah, they can't just the days are gone now where you can just bring your kid a Tylenol.

SPEAKER_00 5:11

Right. Kids cannot bring in medication themselves first and foremost. Medication in a backpack is a bad thing. Okay, especially, well, for elementary, I believe at the high school the rules are a little different, but I don't know that.

SPEAKER_01 5:23

I don't know. I delight my daughter last year, year four, no, it was her ninth grade year, so two years ago. She bless her heart, she's had a headache, and I told her, I was like, Well, I'll leave and bring you something. She's like, No, Dad, I forgot. So I was like, You can't do that. Oh, that's right. So I had to go get her, and I was like, Well, I was like, just we went nurse and we checked it, and I was like, Right. Then you go up there and get your own. But yeah, she's like, I can't even have Tylenol. I was like, no. Well, back in the day it was this.

SPEAKER_02 5:48

I remember back in the day they just sent you with whatever. I think you can give you take prescription, but that was back in my day.

SPEAKER_01 5:54

If you got a headache, just go up there and she'll give you one.

SPEAKER_00 5:56

So actually now, a part of the health form that you have to fill out when you're doing this. A part of that health form is checking a box to give permission. You know, you can treat my child. We have to have that. We can't use so much as hydrocortisone, we can't give them peppermint for a headache or a stomach ache. No kidding, not even a peppermint. We have nothing is done to your child without your permission.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

Can't give them peppermint for a headache.

SPEAKER_00 6:28

Yeah. Well because it's considered a treatment. And if a parent doesn't want us to treat their child, we respect that. You know, that is your decision.

SPEAKER_02 6:37

Yeah, so how would y'all handle that? Like if if okay, you didn't got no permission to treat this child, you just call the parent and have them come up there. Okay. Well, that's good to know. Yeah. Because I'm I mean, I know there's a lot of red tape, and you hate not to give a kid something, but I mean it's a part of it.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

And a lot of times water will fix it. You know, a lot of times headaches are due to dehydration, especially in the warmer months.

SPEAKER_02 7:00

What is it about a peppermint that cures a headache?

SPEAKER_00 7:03

I have no clue. My theory is for kids, you know, peppermints are spicy.

SPEAKER_02 7:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:11

My only thought is maybe it opens up the sinuses a little bit. Or I really don't know. Or, you know, maybe they're just really hungry and their blood sugar's a little lower.

SPEAKER_01 7:25

And uh yeah. I've seen a lot of that. Like you'll go in the cafeteria like lunch and the kids they don't eat because they're too busy talking to each other. Right. And then 30 minutes later they're in the nurse's office.

SPEAKER_03 7:34

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 7:35

Yeah, because they've got lunchtime is that hunger here. Like like my middle one, she's going into middle school this year, but when we would pick her up from elementary school, I'm hungry, everybody. And that was well why did you did you not eat? Well, no. Because she's too busy talking. Yes. I'm trying to think of the word placebo.

SPEAKER_02 7:52

I mean, is it probably? Is it probably like a placebo? Sometimes. I've I've got a the nurse gave me something, so now I'm gonna be better regardless if it ain't sometimes. Okay, could be. Now I know there's a couple of rules, uh, especially like I think last year we uh dealt with it with my kids. Um when they throw up or have a fever the night before. When what is y'all's protocol on that?

SPEAKER_00 8:15

24 hours, fever, vomit, diarrhea free. I know it sounds extreme to some, but we have had kids who maybe throw up, you know, nine o'clock in the morning, they're perfectly fine, and then 8 30 the next morning, they throw up again. You know, fevers are the same way, they have a tendency to kind of come back at night or later in the day. So we ask that they're 24 hours free of those things. Of course, if your child is just completely miserable, even if they don't have a fever, if they are totally miserable, give them the day because you know, they're probably not gonna pick up much.

SPEAKER_02 8:54

And I say it's a case-by-case basis. Absolutely. But but but a minimum if your child has a sickness, a minimum twenty-four hours before you bring them to school.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

24 hours.

SPEAKER_02 9:03

Try to keep the the z you know, the the sicknesses down. Was that a COVID thing or was that always in place?

SPEAKER_00 9:10

I honestly am not sure. It's always been a thing since I've been here.

SPEAKER_02 9:15

Well, since I was six. Where'd you go to school at?

SPEAKER_00 9:17

Actually, I went to Farah from kindergarten to third grade.

SPEAKER_02 9:22

That is cool.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

And then I went to East Lincoln, fourth and fifth, and then East Middle and Tullahoma High School.

SPEAKER_02 9:28

Okay, and where did you go to nursing school?

SPEAKER_00 9:30

I went to Motlow.

SPEAKER_02 9:31

Motlow. Really good, really nice school. I've been through there and see all the nursing schools.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

Very rigorous program.

SPEAKER_02 9:37

Oh, it has to be. Yeah, there's a lot of programs about it. That's like what a two-year, four-year program.

SPEAKER_00 9:42

It's a two-year program. I'm not sure how it is now. Whenever I went, I think our class they accepted 75 students. But they would have, you know, 400 applicants, and you would have to take a test to see if you could get in. You had your prerequisites, all those things. And I mean, it was tough. It was so tough.

SPEAKER_02 10:05

I'd say you probably have to live, sleep, and breathe that school.

SPEAKER_00 10:09

100%. There were a lot of sleepless nights, especially before clinicals. You know, you'd be up all night the night before. You've got to go over all your patients' information. You have to know all the information about the drugs, all the side effects. It was a lot.

SPEAKER_02 10:24

And I'd say, just out of the top of my head, that you and your husband are probably your family's doctors. Am I correct?

SPEAKER_00 10:32

Well, my husband and I, my sister actually works in the lab at Harton.

SPEAKER_02 10:37

Okay, so you So y'all get the phone calls from everywhere.

SPEAKER_00 10:40

Between the three of us, we could probably figure it out. But no, we're not the doctors.

SPEAKER_02 10:45

I'm gonna say like you know, me and me and Tyler being police officers, everybody calls us. Because they're sick. Uh well, not sick.

SPEAKER_00 10:55

Any law question.

SPEAKER_02 10:56

But they'll call us for law questions, even law questions that have nothing to do with criminal law. They'll like, you know, ask us about landlord and things of that nature. And like we know.

SPEAKER_00 11:04

I have a tendency to do that with one of my besties. He gets all the texts, hey, just saw this. Is this legal? You know.

SPEAKER_01 11:13

Well, ain't nothing wrong with that, I guess. Having something like that. No. I kind of miss the COVID years when we would get all the weird phone calls. Will you remember that? I don't miss the COVID years at all. I miss the the calls we would get for COVID because we would even after COVID was kind of lifted, you know, a year or so later, it was like we would get those calls like Can I leave my house? I haven't been sick in months. Or just random. Oh, yeah. People would call and ask for permission to leave their house, and I'm like, I don't care. Oh, COVID years were Yeah, you're the I think you're in the minority on this one, pal. Then, of course, my wife being a teacher, I remember walking through the house one day and she was sitting on the kitchen table teaching her class through the computer.

SPEAKER_00 11:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:59

That was weird. I guess that was the best part about COVID is the old kids being able to stay home. Did you have to I mean you had to work during the COVID time even during that time to you?

SPEAKER_00 12:07

Actually, I did so I started October of 2019. COVID hit in March of 2020.

SPEAKER_02 12:16

Welcome aboard.

SPEAKER_00 12:17

So I was actually a substitute nurse, even though I was there full-time, you know. I was a sub. Subs did not have to work when the schools first shut down. So I will admit the one thing I enjoyed was oh, you have to stay home. Okay, cool. I love my kid, I love my dogs, I love my husband. This is gonna be great. So I did enjoy my time at home. I'm a homebody, I admit it. But I did go back when the school year resumed, you know, the following school year, and it was hard. It was so hard.

SPEAKER_02 12:55

The reason why me and my wife are still together is probably because I couldn't stay home. Yeah, we didn't get that privilege, but yeah, we didn't get that privilege, and I can guarantee you yours and mine would have like either killed us or at the very least. I tried to stay home, but changed a lot.

SPEAKER_01 13:10

The chief wouldn't let me.

SPEAKER_02 13:12

No, no, it wasn't a stay-at-home job, unfortunately. So uh during whenever we first got uh the SRO program, and uh they were just picking, and before they got them, they were just picking just different people that could do it. And I got to feel in a fair a lot because my daughter goes there. And the only thing you heard over they have radios, all the teachers and nurses have radios. She knows what I'm about to talk about. They all have radios every single few seconds. Nurse Charlie, nurse Charlie would come over the radio constantly. And I was like, wow, I mean, it it's like you didn't get even a chance to sit down because you was always needed from one one place or another. And there was a time I could hear nurse Charlie in my sleep.

SPEAKER_01 13:56

So because they were like calling it something. Over at Lee, I hear that a lot on the our radios because it's teachers and I hear Beth, Beth. That's all you hear on the is that the is that the accent that you use. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:09

We stay busy. So one thing that I like, last year I got to sort of be part of a trial, I guess you would say, of an electronic sign-up system.

SPEAKER_03 14:19

Really?

SPEAKER_00 14:20

So I printed off a little QR code that's a link to a Google form. Teachers can scan this code, they can type in child's name, what's bothering them, all those things. And it it has a couple of benefits. First of all, when I get a little kindergartner or a first grader, sometimes they're scared to come see me. They don't want to tell me their name. So I've got their name. And also, if I'm in the middle of something, because you know, some things are pretty hands-on. I can't reach my radio, I can't respond to you. But if you put it in there, I've got it, I'm gonna see it. It won't be forgotten.

SPEAKER_03 14:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:57

So I like that. The radio has calmed down a lot. It still happens, but it's calmed down a lot.

SPEAKER_02 15:03

I can't imagine. Your SRO is Perez, ain't he? And yeah, Perez.

SPEAKER_00 15:08

We have Perez.

SPEAKER_02 15:09

She smiled when she said Perez because Perez is awesome. I mean, I we love Perez. He left for a little while.

SPEAKER_00 15:15

He did. He he knew better.

SPEAKER_02 15:17

He wanted to go be a New York farmer.

SPEAKER_00 15:19

He knew better.

SPEAKER_02 15:20

Yeah, why? I remember that. Yes. I I asked him before he left. He's he he's I he said he wanted to go new to New York and be a farmer. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:29

What? That's the most Perez thing he could do, yeah. So I'm just gonna say that. I love Perez.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

You are not wrong.

SPEAKER_01 15:35

I spent a week with him in Gatlinburg at the SO SRO conference, and you know how he talks a lot.

SPEAKER_00 15:40

Oh, yeah. Full of information.

SPEAKER_01 15:42

Maybe said four words while we were up there. I I I don't know. He rode with me up there, of course. We talked the whole way up there, and he just I don't know. He he didn't talk up there. But he I called him Michael Myers because he would like be there. And then you would turn around, he would disappear.

SPEAKER_02 15:57

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 15:57

And then you would see him just casually walking down the side of the road, and then he would disappear, and then you would turn your your right shoulder and he's right here.

SPEAKER_02 16:05

Like I don't know he we're glad to have him back. But I did question I did question the whole New York farming thing.

SPEAKER_00 16:12

Yeah, he's he is great. Like, we are the best team, I feel like. He can tell if somebody calls my name over the walkie, he knows the tone of voice. And if he decides it's an emergent issue, he's he's gone. He's there before I'm there because I've got to grab my big backpack, and you know, I don't know what all I need. So it's great. He walks around, he's you know, making sure everything is safe, and I'm all about safety and infection control, so I think it's wonderful.

SPEAKER_01 16:45

Yeah, Perez is great. We can do a whole total. I can do a month long with Perez. Kids love him.

SPEAKER_00 16:50

I mean, it he's great.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

Does he still walk around with like the stickers in his pocket or you know, I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_00 16:58

He had a dog.

SPEAKER_01 17:00

We would be working like a random event and he would just see a kid and just like is that did he disappear? And he's over there like pulling stickers out of his pocket. I don't I don't know if it's like a never-ending sticker pocket or what, but I love the fact that Farrah got a new school.

SPEAKER_02 17:14

Yes. That was uh now that was we first did that what last year or the year before.

SPEAKER_00 17:18

This was our first or this last school year was our first year in that building.

SPEAKER_02 17:23

And I'm I've still had to navigate through it. I haven't been I haven't been in there yet. You ain't been? Huh?

SPEAKER_00 17:29

It's very different.

SPEAKER_02 17:30

Well, he he's he's SRO at Robert E. Lee, so he don't he don't get out much.

SPEAKER_01 17:34

I've I've walked in the front door to give some cheerleading information stuff, but other than that, I've Well, I walked in there a lot because unfortunately we had vandals that would come up there.

SPEAKER_02 17:46

I don't know if y'all remember that or not. Yes. But we had but while it was under construction, we had vandals that would go in there and um have fire extinguisher wars. Yeah. And so you would walk in and the whole floor would be covered in that uh fire extinguisher white.

SPEAKER_00 18:02

Oh, I don't know that I heard all that.

SPEAKER_02 18:04

It was you heard it here. That's what we're here. Were you here? Yeah, we yeah, and you know, we kept on special patrols and all like that, but for a f for a little bit, we you know, that was a huge I did hear there were people kind of going in there at night and so funny story with Farah.

SPEAKER_01 18:22

When I first started here, I started here in 2016. We would do the walkthroughs of the schools, and I knew East Lincoln because my daughter went there. Robert E. Lee was kind of amazed, but Farah, I didn't understand Farah. And I just remember one time I walked in, that's back when they had the big pot, and I was just walking in circles because somebody shut that door behind me and I didn't know how to get out. So I just kept walking and walking, and finally someone's like, Can I help you? I was like, I don't know what door I came in because I can't find the open the door was open and all these doors are shut. Yeah, I believe you. Oh, it I believe you 100% on that.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

Oh, but I love the old building.

SPEAKER_02 18:58

There's a charm, but the old building now we can say this now because it was old, it was a tactical nightmare because you had everybody in this one area, and so I'm glad they fixed that on a police side of it. But the school's nice.

SPEAKER_00 19:18

I mean, there are so many benefits really to this new building. Teachers have their own space that they can actually, you know, kids get excited sometimes during these lessons. Teachers do a great job of that. So, you know, they can get excited, they don't have to worry about bothering the next grade, you know, if when the kids eat lunch. I mean, they ate lunch in that big pod right in the middle of everything. And I remember sometimes I would have to go in there for whatever reason, and it was so loud. And Tracy Butner is over here trying to teach a class. I'm like, girl, how do you do that? And she said, Well, I really can't.

SPEAKER_01 20:00

The monster is chaotic.

SPEAKER_00 20:04

It's loud.

SPEAKER_02 20:04

And that's everywhere. Telehoma City Schools, I'm telling you, everybody, I mean, is very fortunate to have our school system here.

SPEAKER_00 20:11

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 20:12

Farah's one of them. Farah is uh was always awesome to us, and it's because of the staff.

SPEAKER_00 20:18

I'm partial to it myself.

SPEAKER_02 20:20

Yeah, I say you are.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

It it always had a different vibe to me.

SPEAKER_02 20:24

Yeah. So it's a very nice little school. It's uh like I said, everybody's professional over there. I've never ever had any issues with anyone.

SPEAKER_01 20:33

Yeah, we me coming I'm from Franklin County, so I went to Franklin County schools and then coming over here and my kids fell in love with Tullahoma schools, and that's one thing I I tell people often whenever they have a question, is like you're you ain't gonna beat the school system here.

SPEAKER_02 20:48

We actually live in Franklin County, but bring them here.

SPEAKER_01 20:51

Right.

SPEAKER_00 20:52

Well, I have to say I have been so blessed. I have the best group that I work with, you know, the all the nurses, every school. The thing about school nursing, it's so different from any other type of nursing. I am the only medical person in that building. A lot of educators, you know, they know things, but they may not understand some things or why I do some things. Or maybe I have a question. And if I have a question, I can fire off a quick text, and I've got all these other people who can answer me or could, you know, give advice, things like that. I have been really lucky to have that. And our admin, I mean, I couldn't ask for better.

SPEAKER_02 21:37

That you don't that that's rare. It is no, you don't you don't get to you don't hear that often, and it's awesome that we have that here, and that's awesome that you get to work in that, and everybody I believe in that school is better because of nurse Charlie.

SPEAKER_00 21:50

Oh, thanks.

SPEAKER_02 21:51

Most definitely, most definitely.

SPEAKER_00 21:54

I can tell you one of my favorite funny stories.

SPEAKER_02 21:56

Please.

SPEAKER_00 21:57

So we have the most awesome third grade teacher. She's science, she has this really cool thing she does every year. It's squid day. The kids get to dissect a squid and they use the ink gland to write their name on a piece of paper. It's super exciting for everybody. The whole school thinks it's neat. So they used to do this. I'm serious, it's cool. So they would go outside. We used to have this deck by the playground. And as every grade would go out for recess, they'd kind of get to go up and watch what the third graders were doing. So I had a little one come up the next day and he told me his foot hurt. All right, buddy, well, let's check this out. You know, I'm assessing all the things and I'm asking him questions while I do my thing. And come to find out, he told me he had on shoes the day before. He had on his sneakers and a piece of squid got on his sneaker. Now, it sounded like maybe a tiny blip, and it might have even been a leaf. I don't know, but it never even touched the skin. But he was very concerned about it, and he said, Nurse Charlie, I think I might have a squid section. I love working with kids.

SPEAKER_02 23:16

That is awesome.

SPEAKER_00 23:17

They are great.

SPEAKER_02 23:18

I'm still on the fence about squid riding with me.

SPEAKER_00 23:23

I know it's cool.

SPEAKER_02 23:24

It is. It is so cool. I have got to see it and experience it.

SPEAKER_00 23:29

I will let you know when she schedules it. It's usually later in the school year.

SPEAKER_02 23:33

Please do because that's Squid Day is amazing. Squid Day. Do you have squid day, Tyler? No.

SPEAKER_00 23:40

I mean, it's kind of you never had the opportunity to dissect anything in elementary school.

SPEAKER_02 23:46

No, not in. I think it was like a worm. Soft sophomore or a junior year before we got the frog, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_01 23:53

Yeah, we did it in high school, but we did a we dissected a worm in elementary school. Really? It was like six sixth grade. It was Franklin County. Sixth grade was elementary. What can you see in a worm? I don't remember to be honest with you. I probably wasn't listening, so if you can believe that. I mean, I I mean I use worms for fishing, so I mean I don't see anything. I don't think I was interested, but I remember doing it.

SPEAKER_00 24:14

We did frogs in eighth grade. But these kids, man, it's it's so cool. They learn so much. It's fun.

SPEAKER_02 24:22

Thank you, Nurse Charlie, for being with us today. That's it. This has been great. I hate that it's over.

SPEAKER_00 24:28

Well, I appreciate it, Rocky. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 24:30

Tyler, thank you for coming with me finally. Yeah, yeah. I held off my Gatlinburg trip for you this week. Not really. Well, check will be in the mail. Four mil or not? Four mil.

SPEAKER_02 24:42

That'll do it for Tennessee Roll Call for today. Y'all have a great rest of the day.