~by Taylor Teays for The Scranton Journal
For 35 years, students and staff in the Scranton building, then later the Greene County High School in Jefferson, knew the familiar face in the nurse’s office, but when they return next fall, Ann Hicks will be enjoying her retirement.
Hicks graduated from DMACC in 1978 with her associate degree in nursing. She started her career at the Carroll hospital, working there for eight years on the third floor in the med-surg unit, helping in intensive care, finding herself moving around the hospital.
After getting married in 1981, Hicks and her husband Gene became the proud parents of two children, 19 months apart. She continued to work relief at the hospital, picking up one or two nights a week with her mother-in-law helping watch the kids in the morning so Hicks could get a little bit of sleep. That prompted Hicks to look for a job that allowed her to be home with her kids, especially her son Chuck, who she explained is on the autism spectrum.
“They decided to send him to Fort Dodge to school because the programming around us was not enough to teach him much, so when he was 6 they bussed him to Fort Dodge. He went back and forth,” explained Hicks. “I worked at the Scranton school then. If he didn’t have school and we did, I had a friend, Rhonda Baker, who’s now a special ed teacher, he would go to her daycare.”
“Once in a while when I had to work, my husband and I had tag-teamed it. I’d take him to work with me at the school and he’d just play in my office until noon, then Dad would come get him and take him home so that worked out well,” added Hicks.
While the school offered Hicks and her family flexibility, it also allowed her to help a variety of students in an assortment of circumstances, ranging from head lice to broken bones, helping students cope with anxious feelings, and everything in between.
Hicks said memories that will stick with her are times when students fell off playground equipment and ended up with broken bones. She also noted that she helped with tube feedings, catheter changes and mental health issues.
“I find sometimes that if you sit and talk to (the students) about your own thoughts on mental health, sometimes they’ll come back later and tell you they remember things you said, and they do learn from you. Sometimes they just need a listening ear. They don’t always need to see the nurse, they just want someone that’s going to care whether they feel good or not,” explained Hicks.
When asked “what’s next?” Hicks had her list ready.
“I know I’m going to miss being here. I want to do some things in my house. I’ve been married for almost 43 years and you collect things. I want to get through some stuff in my house. I plan to sub for the nurses, and my other plan is when the associates in the special ed room need to be gone, I’m just going to sub for them, too, because I enjoy those kids. I have Chuck, I’m used to that.”
The most valuable life lesson Hicks takes away from her time at the school is “to not sweat the small stuff. Every day can be different. I hope those kids learn the value of things and that they need to work hard.”
In her years, Hicks has thoroughly enjoyed her job, and is looking forward to the next chapter.
Ann will be the guest of honor at a retirement party on Saturday afternoon, June 8, in the Community Room of the Scranton Community Center. Hosted by her family, including daughter Allison McCarville, friends, current and former students are invited to visit from 1 to 3 pm.
