Candace “Candie”  Crocker of Edgecomb joined 30 other Maine school nurses in receiving certification by the National Association of School Nurses. Crocker has worked as the Edgecomb Eddy School nurse for 10 years, and has been a registered nurse for 23. In January, she successfully completed online training in the national program. Last year, Maine Department of Education sought out school nurses to participate in the program. 

Crocker volunteered for the online program which included lecturing, self-study and taking a four-hour exam. “Oh my gosh, I learned so much,” Crocker said. “We had a long review class. I read the course book, and learned so much about problems caused by seizure medications and how they can cause serious illnesses.” 

Maine DOE reported the program was offered so school nurses could build upon their expertise and promote evidence-based practice in Maine schools. The National Association of School Nurses describes its program as a subspecialty of public health nursing, incorporated into the baccalaureate nursing programs’ curriculum; baccalaureate nursing education develops leadership, critical thinking, quality improvement, and systems thinking competencies attained through a minimum of a baccalaureate degree in nursing and validated by specialized certification in school nursing

Crocker is working at Edgecomb Eddy three days a week. She started 10 years ago when the school was searching for a new school nurse. She was approached by then-Principal Lisa Clarke who told Crocker the school needed an immediate replacement. “She asked if I could work either temporary or long-term. I had kids in the school at the time, and thought about it and decided to give it a try,” Crocker said.

As a school nurse, Crocker experiences her share of providing ice packs and band-aids, and administering various eye and hearing screenings. Her job is ensuring both students and staff remain healthy. Her duties expanded from two five-hour shifts to three days per week after COVID-19. “The job became a lot more remote during COVID, so I took a lot of professional development courses,” she said.

Crocker also works full-time as a registered nurse at Miles Memorial Hospital in Damariscotta.