Lynn School Committee interviews nurse candidates for open positions at special meet

The School Committee held a special meeting Thursday afternoon to interview eight candidates for two open positions on the school system’s team of school nurses.School Nurse Leader Katherine McNulty led the 15-minute interviews that focused on each candidate’s experience and the specific skills he or she would bring to the job.The school department launched the search for the new school nurses late last August. Job requirements included a valid Massachusetts license to practice as a registered nurse, a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing, certification for school nursing from the Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education and two years of experience in child health.The school department is looking specifically for candidates capable of assessing and treating chronic diseases, providing emergency care and developing and implementing individual health plans.McNulty asked candidates about their educational backgrounds and what abilities they would bring to the district that would be resources for their peers on the school department’s health team. She also asked the seven women and one man who are up for the job about their experience with insulin and ventilators, among other things.McNulty asked candidates how they would respond to a child who came to the nurse’s office with fears she was pregnant. She also questioned candidates on how they would handle cases of students who who showed signs of depression or expressed thoughts of suicide.The School Committee put off making a decision on which candidates would be offered the jobs. They plan to vote on two finalists at their next meeting.