Bernadette Berset, the lead school nurse at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, was named Parochial School Nurse of the Year Nov. 6 in Richmond at the annal Virginia Association of School Nurses Conference. She was chosen from among nurses in private, independent and parochial schools. Berset was recognized for her outstanding commitment to student health and to her community during her 10-year tenure at O’Connell but especially over the last several years during the pandemic.
“Bernadette’s devotion to Catholic education, combined with her professional experience and sound judgment, make her an invaluable teammate as a school nurse,” said Joseph Vorbach, diocesan superintendent of schools. “Bishop O’Connell High School and the Diocese of Arlington are blessed to be the beneficiaries of her wisdom and commitment, never on more powerful display than during the pandemic.”
“The National Association of School Nursing defines school nursing as a specialized practice of professional nursing that advances the well-being, academic success, and life-long achievement of students” said VASN in a statement. “To that end, school nurses facilitate positive student responses to normal development; promote health and safety; intervene with actual and potential health problems; provide case management services; and actively collaborate with others to build student and family capacity for adaptation, self-management, self-advocacy, and learning.”
