November 12, 2024
By BARTON HENLEY
Rutherford County Schools
Shanna Groom was named Tennessee Association School Nurse (TASN), a state-wide organization for school nurses, School Nurse Administrator of the Year, and Allison Wadham was named RCS School Nurse of the Year.
Both recipients were anonymously nominated by colleagues for their respective awards.
Wadham is the school nurse at Siegel High School.
Groom began as the Rutherford County Schools Health Services Coordinator in February of 2023.
Below are comments from the nominators:
Allison Wadham
“Allison displays superior and admirable dedication to her role as a school nurse that extends not only through her school but the nursing department as a whole. Her unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of our students is truly inspiring. With a warm smile and a graceful demeanor, she approaches every situation with a positive attitude, always ready to lend a helping hand. She not only serves as a reliable source of nursing care but also as a mentor and role model for those around her. Her efforts do not go unnoticed, and she inspires me and many others to embody the same compassion and dedication in our own careers.”
“Allison is such an amazing part of our team. She is loved not only by all of us but by her staff and her students as well. She goes above and beyond for everyone and is always willing to help anyone anytime. Not to mention she is a genius with excel and always coming up with ways to help all of us out with her magical computer skills.She is the best and truly deserves this.”
Shanna Groom
"While I have known Shanna since I began working with Rutherford County Schools in 2017, it wasn't until 2020, when I began working under her direct supervision, that I was able to fully see her passion for school nursing. At that time, Shanna was working as a Clinical Charge Nurse for our district. She was responsible for the immediate oversight of 14 schools in our district, along with other duties assigned to her by our then Health Services Coordinator. Shanna made it her mission to know her nurses- and the schools and students they served – well. I have often joked that Shanna seemed as much at home at my school as I was, and I have no doubt that everyone else in her assigned zone felt the same way. She made it a priority to come by frequently and never hesitated to jump in and triage a sick student or perform a tube feeding while checking in. What's more, she was always willing to field my questions and collaborate with me to form a solution, or to simply serve as a sounding board for my thoughts. During the time she was my Clinical Charge Nurse, Shanna encouraged me to pursue my master's degree in nursing education, and later, to take the NBCSN Exam. I can without a doubt say that I would not have pursued these accomplishments without her encouragement to do so.”
“Shanna has continued to make changes to propel our district forward in her current role as the Health Services Supervisor. She exemplifies all that is great about school nursing. She is a dynamic leader; professional yet approachable. She is a team player who values and respects the input of individuals around her. She is knowledgeable while remaining teachable. She is the example I strive to follow daily as a school nurse."