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HHS School nurse Erin Parker shares her favorite things about her job.

 

First, tell me a little about yourself.

My husband, Matt, and I have three children—Norah, Aiden and Sadie. We spend the majority of our time cheering on various HMS/HHS sports and activities. We moved to the Helena community in 2010.

 

Tell me a little about your career. How long have you been a school nurse?

I have been a nurse for 8.5 years. I started my career at Princeton ER, then moved to BMT/Oncology at Children’s Hospital. I worked as a hospice nurse for several years prior to becoming a school nurse in 2021.

 

Why did you decide to become a school nurse?

I really missed working with children and thought that school nursing would be such a fun and rewarding career.

 

What does an average day at your job look like?

Being a school nurse can be very different day to day. I can honestly say that no one day looks like the next!

 

What is your favorite part about being a school nurse?

My favorite part about being a school nurse is the relationships that I have developed with the kids that I get to see every day.  The class that were freshmen when I started at HHS are now juniors. It is so fun to watch them mature and grow into the young adults they are. I am always rooting for these kids, even after they graduate and go to their next season of life. It is very rewarding.

 

What do you believe makes Helena High School special?

100% the faculty, staff and administration. Everyone that works at HHS truly loves and cares about each one of the kids that come into the building. It is so inspiring to be able to see that first hand every day.

 

Do you have any health tips you would like to share with the Helena community?

I am a big believer in taking care of yourself to prevent and help minimize illness. Going for a walk/moving your body, eating nutritious foods, staying hydrated,  getting plenty of sleep and being diligent about hand washing would be my tips!