Barbara Ramsbottom, school nurse at Lakewood Elementary School, was recently named the South Carolina School Nurse (RN) of the Year by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the South Carolina Department of Education. This prestigious award, presented at the South Carolina Annual School Nurse Conference, recognizes Ramsbottom’s unlimited contributions to her school, its students and staff, and the community.

As a school nurse, Ramsbottom is a direct provider of health care for students and serves as an advocate for educational and preventive health services. She coordinates health screenings for students and employees and works to connect eligible students and their families with area resources for dental and vision care.  In her work to educate and involve students in health care advocacy, Ramsbottom coordinates awareness and fundraising projects to benefit research for leukemia and lymphoma.

Ramsbottom co-chairs the Facility Management Team to constantly evaluate and improve her school environment and to ensure compliance with safety rules and workplace regulations. As a certified American Red Cross CPR instructor, she provides multiple trainings to school and district staff to enable more employees to be able to provide life saving assistance in the event of an emergency.