Seven Years Post RN Degree, David Price Finds His Sweet Spot: Health Coordinator For 2700 Students in a Medically Under-Served Community

David is the fourth of five sons from his single mom, a retired licensed vocational nurse. Inspired by his mother, he is the only one of his brothers who went into nursing as a career. After getting his CNA, he worked as an ER tech. Working in the ER was the moment he knew this was where he wanted to be. He loved the adrenaline and the challenge under pressure.

He went back to school to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse and then graduated from the Registered Nursing -LVN to RN Bridge program from SJVC Visalia in 2017. He continued to work in ER as well as the ICU unit. He thought they were the two most challenging departments in the hospital and loved working there.

But post-COVID, David realized he needed a change. With his nursing degree, he began to look for other job options outside the hospital environment. He quickly found his background was valued by a school system looking for a credentialed school nurse. Little did he know at the time the change in environment was indeed a blessing in disguise for him, as he calls it.

This is his story.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Corcoran, CA just outside Visalia. My Mom was a single mom with five sons and worked as a licensed vocational nurse.

Did the fact your mom was a nurse influence you to become one?

Absolutely, I followed in her footsteps. I was also influenced by spending a lot of time at the hospital where she worked. It was like home; it felt so comfortable as a kid. Now there are way too many regulations to do this, but when we were growing up after school we’d go to the hospital and stay there until Mom got off work. We’d hang out at the nurses’ station, visit with patients, then hang out in the cafeteria and the nurses would help us with our homework! It felt like a real community, which is one reason why I think I wanted to do something public service oriented, because I grew up with it and saw it firsthand.

But what you’re doing now is a different kind of public service community compared to a hospital.  How did that come about?

Well, first I started in the hospital. I got my CNA because my Mom suggested I start there. Then I went on to become an LVN and then an RN. I graduated from SJVC’s Registered Nursing – LVN to RN Bridge program in 2017 and worked as an RN until 2021.

And then what happened?

It really was a blessing in disguise.  All I was doing was looking for a change from the hospital environment, still wanted to work in the healthcare field. I applied for this position as Health and Wellness Coordinator for Reef Sunset Unified School District, which covers TK through 12^th grade and serves the communities of Avenal and Kettleman City in Kings County.  The only thing was I needed a school nurse credential to work there, which takes a year to get. But because I had a degree in nursing, I could work with a temporary credential while I got the permanent one.

That’s a good thing to know your nursing degree could help in this situation. What do you like about your job now? 

I love that the two towns are furthest from the county seat; it’s very rural. These are medically under-served communities. I’m a leader in this community; we now have annual school-based community health fairs. Having been a bedside nurse, I had never hosted a health fair! I attend many community events because it’s important to see what my students and the communities need. But more importantly, I want them to know who is overseeing the healthcare of their children in school. I feel now, as a public health nurse, what I do or don’t do directly impacts the healthcare of the community. I’m really motivated to improve the quality of life for the people that I serve.

That sounds really rewarding.

Yes, the community is very appreciative. I get lots of phone calls since I came to the district. My job encompasses a lot, I wear a lot of different hats. Besides the health fairs and food drives I also help to bridge the gap and bring resources to the community. I’ve connected people with resources that I had no idea existed. And then I realized if I hadn’t found them how would the community know they exist?

How have you been recognized for these achievements?

I don’t like to talk about it, but when I received several recognitions, one from the California State Assembly, one from the California Senate and two from the US House of Representatives, I said to my previous superintendent I wasn’t in healthcare to win awards. But he said, “I know that, but when you do great things, you need to be recognized.”

With that being said, there are two awards that I am extremely proud of; one is the Excellence in Education award, which is essentially the employee of the year award and I was awarded it after my first year of working in the district.  The second award is the Milton O. Wilen Award which I was awarded in 2023 and is considered the “Emmy award of the district.”  These two awards make me feel appreciated by not only my colleagues, but the communities I serve.

I can understand your discomfort, but that’s a real compliment.

Thank you. I feel grateful my Mom is my role model; but now I can accept the recognition because I have a teenage daughter and I want to be her role model now. I want the rewards to send a message to her of “Look what you can do.”