By Diane Lynch, RN, MSN
It was 1962. John F. Kennedy was President. John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth. There was the Cuban Missile Crisis, an event that brought the United States to the brink of war. Also in 1962, the Sabin oral polio vaccine replaced the Salk IPV. The Jetsons premiered, and most household televisions were black-and-white. The Beatles’s first single, “Love me Do, ” was released.
And on a level near and dear to us, the Monmouth County School Nurses Association was formed. It began when a few school nurses met, shared, and discussed an interest in forming a county-wide nurses’ association for themselves and their professional colleagues. The first of three formative gatherings was on December 6, 1961. At the time, Earl B. Garrison, Monmouth County Superintendent of Schools (1951-1975), supported these early efforts.
The first association meeting took place on September 24, 1962 at Long Branch High School with 32 nurses present. Marion Druckers was elected President (and served until 1966). By-laws were written and established, and regular meetings were held every other month in various schools. Membership dues were $2.00
In its first year, programs and topics included TB screenings, vision and auditory screenings, speech programs, and a presentation (a timeless topic) titled, “Is it Psychosomatic or is it Real?”
Another topic would prompt a survey within the organization …Should school nurses wear white uniforms? (Most respondents preferred street clothes.)
The following year, meetings were held in a special room at Bamberger’s (now Macy’s) in Eatontontown. By 1964 there were 50 members and $181.65 in the treasury. In 1966 the first newsletter was published, with a logo still in use today. Among the first news items reported was as follows: “Each school is now required by law to employ a school nurse with a minimum recommendation of one nurse to a student population of 1,000.”
In 1967 the first budget, in the amount of $250, was passed and association President Linda Alden Teller reported a concern of poor meeting attendance. At this time, meetings were held in an auditorium at Monmouth Medical Center. Also in 1967, the U.S. Office of Education required all schools (Grades K through 12) include a program on sex education.
May 27, 1968 marked the first dinner meeting at the Old Orchard Inn - menu offerings were prime rib with lobster tail for $6.50, or boneless fried chicken for $4.00. At the September meeting, with a covered dish supper, the membership had grown to 96 and secretarial help was approved for the newsletter editor. The annual budget was $438.67; the treasury held $360.
The January 1969 newsletter topic was: “Drug abuse is becoming a problem in our secondary schools.” The following year,”Teachers are becoming more militant. How do school nurses feel about this trend?”
The 70s: in 1975, New Jersey school nurses were mandated to have a Bachelor’s Degree and complete a segment of student teaching. The State also mandated immunizations for school children. On September 22, 1975, Monmouth County School Nurses Association became incorporated.
Time to fast forward a bit …(otherwise I’d probably need about 60 years to pay tribute to every remarkable achievement of MCSNA. )
In 1989 membership dues increased to $10 but, interestingly, decreased in 1993 to $5 due a surplus of money. President Anne Latona urged members to also join NJSSNA and NASN. Also in 1989, the School Nurse Certification Bill was passed and the membership voiced ongoing concerns about obtaining and retaining substitute school nurses. (something that holds true to this day in 2022). Topics addressed in the 90s included AIDS, Hepatitis C, Lyme Disease, Eating Disorders and Osgood-Schlatters Disease.
Meeting sites varied through the decades: In the 70s it was Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel, and Memorial School in Eatontown. Later on, in 1989, back to Monmouth Medical Center and then it would be Monmouth University in West Long Branch, and CentraState in Freehold. And, the latest since 2020 - Zoom virtual meetings.
Some more recent meeting topics include Toxic Shock Syndrome; Mindfulness in the School Setting; Case Management of Covid-19 (the first topic on a virtual meet); the school nurse’s role in suicide prevention; and PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Information and Strategies for Therapeutic Communication in the Health Office.
I recently saw a desk ornament in a local gift shop that read, “Nursing: the hardest job you’ll ever love.” How true. School nursing is not easy, as we all know. But, it’s what we do and we do it well. Our organization is committed to this professional and timeless endeavor.
When I was an undergraduate at Trenton State College (now TCNJ) a wise nursing professor said, “While nurses will retire from nursing practice someday, they should never retire from nursing education”. How true. Thank You MCSNA for excellent educational programs, nursing education scholarships, collegial support, and positive camaraderie. Thank you to all presidents and executive board members, past and present, for strong leadership. Here’s to the past, present, and future of our remarkable association. Looking forward to the next 60 years.
It was 1962. John F. Kennedy was President. John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth. There was the Cuban Missile Crisis, an event that brought the United States to the brink of war. Also in 1962, the Sabin oral polio vaccine replaced the Salk IPV. The Jetsons premiered, and most household televisions were black-and-white. The Beatles’s first single, “Love me Do, ” was released.
And on a level near and dear to us, the Monmouth County School Nurses Association was formed. It began when a few school nurses met, shared, and discussed an interest in forming a county-wide nurses’ association for themselves and their professional colleagues. The first of three formative gatherings was on December 6, 1961. At the time, Earl B. Garrison, Monmouth County Superintendent of Schools (1951-1975), supported these early efforts.
The first association meeting took place on September 24, 1962 at Long Branch High School with 32 nurses present. Marion Druckers was elected President (and served until 1966). By-laws were written and established, and regular meetings were held every other month in various schools. Membership dues were $2.00
In its first year, programs and topics included TB screenings, vision and auditory screenings, speech programs, and a presentation (a timeless topic) titled, “Is it Psychosomatic or is it Real?”
Another topic would prompt a survey within the organization …Should school nurses wear white uniforms? (Most respondents preferred street clothes.)
The following year, meetings were held in a special room at Bamberger’s (now Macy’s) in Eatontontown. By 1964 there were 50 members and $181.65 in the treasury. In 1966 the first newsletter was published, with a logo still in use today. Among the first news items reported was as follows: “Each school is now required by law to employ a school nurse with a minimum recommendation of one nurse to a student population of 1,000.”
In 1967 the first budget, in the amount of $250, was passed and association President Linda Alden Teller reported a concern of poor meeting attendance. At this time, meetings were held in an auditorium at Monmouth Medical Center. Also in 1967, the U.S. Office of Education required all schools (Grades K through 12) include a program on sex education.
May 27, 1968 marked the first dinner meeting at the Old Orchard Inn - menu offerings were prime rib with lobster tail for $6.50, or boneless fried chicken for $4.00. At the September meeting, with a covered dish supper, the membership had grown to 96 and secretarial help was approved for the newsletter editor. The annual budget was $438.67; the treasury held $360.
The January 1969 newsletter topic was: “Drug abuse is becoming a problem in our secondary schools.” The following year,”Teachers are becoming more militant. How do school nurses feel about this trend?”
The 70s: in 1975, New Jersey school nurses were mandated to have a Bachelor’s Degree and complete a segment of student teaching. The State also mandated immunizations for school children. On September 22, 1975, Monmouth County School Nurses Association became incorporated.
Time to fast forward a bit …(otherwise I’d probably need about 60 years to pay tribute to every remarkable achievement of MCSNA. )
In 1989 membership dues increased to $10 but, interestingly, decreased in 1993 to $5 due a surplus of money. President Anne Latona urged members to also join NJSSNA and NASN. Also in 1989, the School Nurse Certification Bill was passed and the membership voiced ongoing concerns about obtaining and retaining substitute school nurses. (something that holds true to this day in 2022). Topics addressed in the 90s included AIDS, Hepatitis C, Lyme Disease, Eating Disorders and Osgood-Schlatters Disease.
Meeting sites varied through the decades: In the 70s it was Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel, and Memorial School in Eatontown. Later on, in 1989, back to Monmouth Medical Center and then it would be Monmouth University in West Long Branch, and CentraState in Freehold. And, the latest since 2020 - Zoom virtual meetings.
Some more recent meeting topics include Toxic Shock Syndrome; Mindfulness in the School Setting; Case Management of Covid-19 (the first topic on a virtual meet); the school nurse’s role in suicide prevention; and PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Information and Strategies for Therapeutic Communication in the Health Office.
I recently saw a desk ornament in a local gift shop that read, “Nursing: the hardest job you’ll ever love.” How true. School nursing is not easy, as we all know. But, it’s what we do and we do it well. Our organization is committed to this professional and timeless endeavor.
When I was an undergraduate at Trenton State College (now TCNJ) a wise nursing professor said, “While nurses will retire from nursing practice someday, they should never retire from nursing education”. How true. Thank You MCSNA for excellent educational programs, nursing education scholarships, collegial support, and positive camaraderie. Thank you to all presidents and executive board members, past and present, for strong leadership. Here’s to the past, present, and future of our remarkable association. Looking forward to the next 60 years.