BHS’ Batis Honored by State School Nurses Association

It takes a lot of people to support the physical and emotional needs of students at a school as large as .

One of those people is school nurse Sue Batis, who recently was honored with the Illinois Association of School Nurses “Recognition of Excellence Award.”

“It’s really huge to be recognized by my peers,” said Batis, a registered nurse who is one of two full time school nurses at BHS. “Nurses are such an important part of each school.”

Batis has been with since 2002 when she joined the staff as a school nurse at . Soon after she started, she found herself spending some time at BHS, and also working one day a week as a liaison to school district health services. She was named the full time  coordinator of VVSD Health Services in 2005.

In 2007, Batis went back to being a full time nurse at BHS because “I was missing student contact and I really wanted to get back to that.”

Prior to coming to Valley View, she had experience with a home health agency working with children from Homer Township, Joliet and Plainfield. She also served as a nurse in Plainfield School District 202.

A graduate of College of St. Francis with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, Batis then pursued an associate degree in nursing from Joliet Junior College and ultimately obtained her master’s in nursing from University of Illinois-Chicago. She received her school nurse certificate in 2001.

The award was given by the DuPage Valley Division of the IASN “to recognize a peer who best represents the leadership, professionalism and advocacy” of the school nurse profession.