Bobbie Porter

Training as a school nurse included pediatric ICU(children's hospital in Washington DC), Psychiatric nursing (worked on in a locked bulding on a locked campus, basic skills as alternative health professional in undergraduate school.

Worked on a med/surg floor for a number of years as the only RN on my floor. Many times had 30+ patients, 17+ I.V. meds to give while also managing/caring for individual on a ventilator.

During my years as a school nurse, myself and two other nurses wrote the health plan for the school district where I worked. I trained special education staff on how to administer medication, how to tube feed and catheterize students, taught them clean vs sterile technique to prevent infections. When requested I educated parents on communicable diseases and other health related issues. Shared medical information with school administrators and helped develop communicable disease policies for the school district.

To keep my skills current, while working as a school nurse,

-I worked in hospitals and nursing homes during school vacations

-attended state and national school nurses association conferences

-spoke with the public health department staff

While a school nurse, myself and two other nurses saw the need for vision and hearing screenings to be conducted at the special ed student's school. We wrote a grand for $10,000 to begin the program. It was accepted and helped provide vision and hearing services to our students for over 30 years.

I taught Red Cross CPR classes to staff and set up a emergency plans in the event CPR was needed. We also set up protocols for emergency evacuations.

In my spare time I functioned as a Pathfinder Director (similar to boy/girl scouts) for children 10-17. They were taught basic survival skills and character development. Some of those pathfinders have grow up to be teachers, doctors, nurses, writers, computer programers, technicians, supervisors of companies, etc.

My family owned and operated an Adult Foster Care in our home in 1979. It operated continuously except for about a year when we moved and had to obtain a new license for our new address. We closed our home May, 2023.

I now operate a farm and have worked with the teacher on:

1. students incubating and hatching chicks from my farm

2. join field trips with the seniors in my home to the Apple Orchard and science museum. Both groups seem to enjoy the trips. The seniors that went with them often shared what their life was like a. when they were children, b. during a tornado that came when they were younger.

3. after field trips we sometimes go to dinner. The students are polite and will get items for the seniors or help guide their wheelchair.

Run a small farm and sell produce locally.  

Walk 3-5 miles during the week.