Shay Backes was nominated by one of her family members, Jenny Brandt.
"I am nominating Shay Backes for LifeChanger of the Year because she is, hands down, the best nurse I know," explains Brandt. "She is a LifeChanger. Shay is our school nurse, and while she has been a nurse for many years, 2020-2021 was her first year as a school nurse. That's right, her first year as a school nurse. She landed the job she had been thinking about since she was young, and suddenly, we were in the middle of a pandemic! In 7th grade, Shay had talked to a good friend's mom, who was a nurse, and had been thinking about it ever since. She knew from babysitting at age 11 that she needed to work with children. She was right!"
The pandemic didn't faze Ms. Backes in the least. One of her many strengths is her ability to balance her laidback style that keeps everyone calm with her adherence to the line of safety, ethics, and high standards. She worked hard to keep everyone as safe and supported as possible. She championed safety through her work on the school COVID-19 Compliance team. Ms. Backes also spent an insane number of hours on the phone supporting parents whose children had to quarantine, were stressed out because of possible exposure, or just needed support in thinking through their next step when there was a positive COVID-19 case. Through both of those lenses, she constantly assessed what to do next. Ms. Backes was diligent in considering what would keep everyone as safe as possible and how she could support everyone through whatever was coming next.
In the 2020-2021 school year, Ms. Backes took care of everyone the way she always does, including the students, their families, the teachers, staff, and her own extended family, as well.
"She is my sister-in-law as well as our school nurse, so I know just how well she takes care of all of the people in her life," said Brandt.
"Taking care of others" means many things. Ms. Backes bandages knees, gives snacks and hugs when the kids are having a rough day, puts ice packs on boo-boos, and all of the things you’d probably expect. However, she is always on alert for the really big things, too. She has caught some really big things in her students that were life-changing for them. She not only caught them because she is an amazing nurse and always has a watchful eye, but because she knows the kids really well. Ms. Backes knows them all by name and talks to them all of the time. Because of that, she notices when something is off, and she pays attention to that until it resolves, or until she figures out what is going on.
No little thing is ever too small for her attention. It all matters: every fever, rash, surgery, big thing, or little thing. Ms. Backes gives her full attention to all of it. She does this for every single person, both inside and outside of school. She is never off duty; being a nurse is who she is all hours of the day. Ms. Backes talks to parents whenever they need her, especially when they are worried and scared. You can count on her.
"She talks you through what to do next, but then, she calls the next day to check on you, and the next day. Being a nurse is not just Shay's job. It's who she is, day in and day out. In addition to being a gifted nurse, her compassion for those she cares for is what makes her so special. I am so proud I know her, and she is a LifeChanger in our school. We are so lucky to have her," said Brandt.
Nurse Shay has been a life saver and leader for over 600+ students and their families and well as a great advisor to St Therese Parish and the greater community through her strong communication and leadership with Platte County Health Department throughout the past year. She constantly goes above and beyond to keep our kids safe and support the community. Thank you for all you do!!
Nurse Shay is so deserving of these accolades. She truly is amazing and goes above and beyond. The kids know, love and adore her. For us personally, she has been a source of comfort, strength and peace during a very challenging time. When my daughter stapled her thumb at the end of 2nd grade, it was nurse Shay to the rescue. She kept my often dramatic girl calm and actually she just mentioned this recently and explained how great nurse Shay was (so a memory she will likely carry for life). STS is so fortunate to have been blessed with this beautiful and wonderful person as our school nurse. It is a comfort knowing she is there when you cannot be and able to handle the most difficult of situations. Thank you nurse Shay, you are amazing, wonderful and so very loved!
Shay is truly a life changer at our school. One morning I was testing kindergarteners for a program in the school. I was carrying tests and pencils and other materials and managed to fall right outside the classroom doors. I have fallen before but this time was different. I had broken both bones in my wrist. Having never broken a bone before, I knew nothing about protocol, but Shay jumped into action and soon had me splinted and out of pain. I actually feel I got better care from Shay than I did at the orthopedic specialist’s office. Her caring and thinking of anything and everything was truly remarkable. She followed up with me to make sure I got good care and to see how I was doing. I feel so lucky that Shay is our school nurse and is so knowledgeable and caring. She sees a steady stream of students every day and changes lives with every visit. Every child gets the benefit of her expertise and love. Shay is a true life changer and we are very lucky she is at our school!
Nurse Shay is absolutely amazing! The love she has for our students is obvious in everything she does. She is kind, warm, and compassionate and she has a special way of putting our students at ease when they aren't feeling their best. Thank you so much for everything you do, Shay! We are beyond blessed to have you as part of our St. Therese family.
Couldn't agree more with this nomination of Nurse Shay! Not sure how she is finding time to support more than just our family - you wouldn't know it based on the personalized advice and reassurance she has given us through this pandemic period. We are so very grateful in the role she has played in helping our children have as normal a school experience as possible.
Shay has been a Lifechanger for our family for the past 2 years. Her expertise as a nurse go beyond her clinical skills into the realm of communication expertise. She shows empathy and understanding in difficult situations, and eases fears of kids and adults. Having this level of care is the school has meant that we could go to work knowing that my kids were kept as safe as possible. This meant their education is in person at a time when few other schools were open. My daughter loves her and wants to be a nurse. And she checks on my 3 yr old every time she gets injured in preschool. My 2 sons have been in her office numerous times as well.
I am so grateful to have Shay in our community!
Nurse Shay is an amazing nurse, parent, and human being; St. Therese is very blessed to have her! I have had the honor and opportunity to get to know Shay and work with her this year and I am very impressed with her dedication to the children and staff. She is very professional, compassionate, caring, and loving in her care and healing processes. Shay goes above and beyond in her duties, I always know I can count on her if I ever need anything. I appreciate all she does for everyone- thank you Shay!
Nurse Shay deserves all the accolades out there. She is the major reason that St. Therese School has been able to be open the past two years during COVID. She performs her responsibilities with ease and confidence. She is professional, yet personal. She calls to check on every single child anytime they are home sick from school. With experience at two major children's hospitals, we are lucky she is passionate about children and our school and has chosen to serve in the capacity that she does. We are so thankful for you, Shay!
I witness Shay's dedication to her students everyday! As one of the assistant principal's at St. Therese School, I am fortunate to work with Shay and see first hand how she interacts with students on a daily basis. She is caring, compassionate and extremely knowledgeable. Her strong communication skills are such an asset as she shares important and timely COVID or other health related information to teachers, staff and parents. We are blessed to have a LifeChanger, such as Nurse Shay at our school!
Nurse Shay deserves all the accolades out there. She is the major reason that St. Therese School has been able to be open the past two years during COVID. She performs her responsibilities with ease and confidence. She is professional, yet personal. She calls to check on every single child anytime they are home sick from school. With experience at two major children's hospitals, we are lucky she is passionate about children and our school and has chosen to serve in the capacity that she does. We are so thankful for you, Shay!
Nurse Shay is not only a fantastic nurse, but an amazing person! I have had the opportunity to get to know and work with Shay this year and it has been delightful! Shay is dedicated to not only the students, but to all and we are very blessed to have her here at St. Therese School. Shay is always very professional, devoted, compassionate, and goes above and beyond the call of duty. One can tell that Shay truly loves what she does and those she gladly helps and serves in the healing process. Thank you Shay for being you and making us all feel very special; you are terrific!
Nurse Shay has been awesome, we are so lucky to have her at our school. Sending my oldest off to school in the midst of a pandemic was so scary. Having the nurse there to answer questions and help keep the kids safe has been so helpful. We are so grateful for all she does!
Shay is amazing! She goes above and beyond in her job! She has been so knowledgeable and helpful to our family and all of the families throughout the pandemic! We are so grateful to have her at STS!
Shay is a LifeChanger! She goes above and beyond in the care that she provides to everyone in our school community. She is never too busy to answer a question, take care of the people in her life, or just offer encouragement to the students, staff and families. Shay has not only shown great knowledge during the pandemic, but she’s also shown great courage. People trust not only the care she provides to their loved ones, but her opinion on how to handle medical situations.
Shay is a remarkable person who loves caring for others and is dedicated to being a nurse. We are so lucky to have her on our school staff and I feel privileged to call her my friend. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of the LifeChanger award. Thank you, Shay for everything you do.
Shay is an incredible nurse and a remarkable human. I have the honor to work beside her as the counselor at our school and witness daily her commitment to the safety and care of every student who enters her office. She is a great communicator with families and staff. As a parent of children in the school I have personally experienced her willingness to help answer my concerns for my own children (often in a Sunday evening-usually during a chiefs game). She puts kids first. She puts the health of our students and community first. She is knowledgeable and speaks from her heart. Thank you Shay for all you do! A true life changer!
Our family is so thankful for Nurse Shay. Our kids feel so comfortable and trusting of Shay to go visit her when they are not their best (maybe too comfortable). I tell Shay that she must be the most popular person at St. Therese considering the amount of times that my kids tell me they went to her office for her help. She will then reach out after school or the next day to check on my kids. We are grateful to have Shay caring for our kids when they are away from our care and at school.
Nurse Shay is such an amazing person. She goes above and beyond to help our kids stay safe and healthy. She is always in good spirits and explains everything so well to help me understand what the call/concern is about. She goes above and beyond to tell me what I need to do or look out for with my kids if something has happened. I trust her with the safety and health of my children. Thank you Shay!
Nurse Shay has gone above and beyond this past year and a half. Her laid-back attitude has been such a blessing as she has helped many families, including my own, navigate Covid-19 and quarantine. She is responsive and always there to answer any questions. She is hard-working and St. Therese School is so blessed to have her. Nurse Shay is so deserving of this award!
Nurse Shay is amazing! She has been there for our students, staff, and the entire St. Therese community. I admire her courage and fortitude. Thank you, Shay, for tirelessly continuing to care for us!
I have 5 kids. And let’s just say they all have their fair share of going to the nurses office. Nurse Shay is so patient with them, and doesn’t let there silliness slide, but also knows when something is serious. If it wasn’t for Nurse Shay, I would not have found out my youngest has Perthes disease. Even our family doctor wrote off the leg pain as growing pains, but Nurse Shay called me and told me that she thought there was more. I am so thankful to have Nurse Shay as our school nurse. She is such a blessing and I’m thankful everyday she is there for my kids when they need it.
Shay has been a rock through these last two years. She was so helpful in helping me find the vaccine for my husband when it first became available and was difficult to get. I appreciate her calm demeanor and support when things sometimes get a little crazy. Thank you so much, Shay, for all your hard work, knowledge, and professionalism.
Shay is a wonderful nurse. Our safety is her first priority. COVID has been at the forefront of our school for the past 18 months, and Shay always keeps us up-to-date on the newest information. And as we all know changes day-to-day. Thanks Shay for all you do.
Melanie
We are so very thankful for Nurse Shay! I will never forget her kindness and understanding as we navigated COVID-19 right as our 5-year-old was supposed to start kindergarten at STS. She went above and beyond to support us and made herself available well after school hours to help guide and comfort my worries for my family. Her down-to-earth demeanor, skilled advice, and extremely caring and compassionate outlook helped to bring some much needed peace to a worn-out momma. How blessed we are to have you at our school! Congratulations on this nomination - it is so well deserved. Thank you for all that you do for our children and our families.
Nurse Shay has been amazing this past year, helping answer all of our questions when the kids are sick or needed to quarantine. I am so thankful for her hard work, especially now!
Shay is an incredible nurse, and an exceptional asset to our school and community! The amount of “extra” she does for the kids, the parents and the community is beloved. As a parent I have relied on her for guidance (multiple times); As a fellow nurse I have valued her insight!
Thank you for all you do!
As principal at St. Therese School, I have witnessed Shay's dedication to the well-being of our students and staff every day. Simply put, our school would not have been able to stay open and function during the 2020-2021 school year without Shay's expertise, hard work, and determination. When I think of the long-term impact of a year of learning for our students, I am deeply, deeply grateful for Shay. That year of learning will have a life changing impact on every St. Therese student.
Thank you Shay!
St. Therese is so very fortunate to have Nurse Shay. Her attention to detail is one of her many strengths. Sometimes, she has to be a detective trying to figure out what is wrong with a child based on his/her symptoms. As a school nurse, Shay does so much each day. She takes such great care of us!
Nurse Shay has been a tremendous blessing to our school community and to me. What a marvelous example of excellent nursing and what a credit to her profession. She does combine compassion and strength in caring for others and in working hard to keep our school as safe as possible, despite negative feedback from some. Thank you so much Shay for sharing your talents and gifts with us. God bless you and your family.
Nurse Shay is so awesome! She is very skilled at what she does!! She listens to the students and teachers at her school and uses this information to make the best assessment for each child. Her attention to detail and personal care definitely makes her a life changer!!!!
Our community is lucky to have Nurse Shay. She has guided us through keeping kids in school during a pandemic, cares for the kids like they are her own and eases parents minds. She helped me navigate when four out of five of us had covid and checked on us nearly everyday. She was more responsive than our pediatric office and I would have been lost without her. I’m so grateful to her dedication to her job and the sacrifices she makes to be a nurse in a catholic school!
I feel safer with my kids at school because of Shay.
She brings solace and an understanding empathetic demeanor. That has helped us manage a PANDEMIC while keeping all kids in school learning and to that I am grateful for her service. She should be recognized.
Nurse Shay can do it all! She is an excellent support for students when they are feeling ill or are hurt. She takes time to talk with parents about ways to help their child or answer any questions they may have. She is a great asset to our school!
Shay is the best! She consistently goes above and beyond!
We are blessed to have Nurse Shay at St. Therese. She has definitely been a "Lifechanger" in our school! These last two years would have been extremely difficult without her expertise and knowledge of our students. She has not only changed lives but saved lives of our students by catching things that others may have overlooked. Thank you for all of your hard work Shay! You make our school a healthier and happier place to be!
Shay Backes does a phenomenal job of taking care of all the students at St Therese.
She combines compassion with her expertise and is the ultimate definition of a life changer.
She is also kind and truly listens to others
Truly an amazing person! She has worked diligently with these students and provided them the care that any parent would do for their own child. I am so happy to have someone that I get to work alongside who does such exceptional work!
Nurse Shay treats every student as she would her own child. She listens to them, addressed their needs, and helps to determine the next plan of action (which may as simple as a mint). I trust her advice not only for my own kids, but even for myself. Thanks for all that you do at STS!
Nurse Shay started her work as our school nurse in one of the most challenging times for schools and healthcare. Over and over again I see examples of her excellence. My kids are trying to hold out to make sure their tooth falls out on Nurse Shay’s watch because they treasure every interaction with her and she makes the simplest things special occasions. My boys were discussing her snack stash this morning comparing notes and noting that interacting with Nurse Shay always makes them feel better. From worries about possible seizures to giant goose eggs on their head, Shay handles every situation in her amazingly calm, competent manner. While I still feel a bit in my stomach when my caller ID shows “St. Therese school” I usually breathe sigh of relief when I hear her voice on the other end. Having her support allows me to stay at work and take care of other people’s children. She is a total life saver for our family.
Nurse Shay treats every student as she would her own child. She listens to them, addressed their needs, and helps to determine the next plan of action (which may as simple as a mint). I trust her advice not only for my own kids, but even for myself. Thanks for all that you do at STS!
Wow! Shay, thank you so much for being there for my kids. COVID brought anxiety to parents and so as for the kids. Thank you for taking time to be with Sophie during the times when she was at school and having emotional issues and we’re not there as parents to comfort her. Thank you for the support. Thanks for taking time to assure her that everything is going to be okay. Thanks for being there for Ella and Sebastian as well.
Nurse Shay treats every student as she would her own child. She listens to them, addressed their needs, and helps to determine the next plan of action (which may as simple as a mint). I trust her advice not only for my own kids, but even for myself. Thanks for all that you do at STS!
Shay has been great throughout the pandemic. She has championed measures to help keep spread low and was instrumental along with others in the school in helping protect our teachers and students. It was definitely a challenge to begin a new job during a pandemic, but she jumped in and rocked it.
Nurse Backes is wonderful! She has helped parents and students navigate through a pandemic, no easy feat! She also provides great care on a daily basis. Whether it's nose bleeds, eczema, tummy aches or emergenices, Nurse Backes handles it all. My youngest broke his arm at school last year and she gave him excellent care. The ER doctor even commented on how well she had splinted/wrapped the arm. I feel confident in knowing my 3 boys have a qualified and caring nurse at school. She is so great I think my kids fake tummy aches just to go see her! Ha! Thank you Nurse Backes!
As an administrator at St. Therese and memeber of the Covid Compliance team, I work directly with Shay on a daily basis. St. Therese is blessed to have such an incredible nurse, person, colleague, and friend as our school nurse. Shay's attention to detail, love for her students and dedication to her position are unmatched. She sincerely cares about everyone she comes in contact with and does everything in her power to take care of them. The students, staff, parents and pretty much everyone else, love and adore Shay.
She manages a revolving door of students in her office everyday with care and grace. She organizes the Crisis team for the campus and has been an integral part of managing the Covid response at St. Therese. Her positive attitude and overall calmness brings comfort to everyone she cares for and she treats all of the students, and staff, like familiy.
Beyond the day to day care she provides, on multiple occassions, Shay has identified very serious conditions in students and advised parents to seek immediate medical attention that has literally changed the lives of these children. Her abilities paired with her passion to care for others have been the greatest gift to St. Therese.
God bleesed the world with nurses and He blessed St. Therese with Shay.
Thank you Shay for all you do for our community. Your love and dedication is never overlooked and we can never thank you enough for being you.
God bless you.
It’s hard to put into words how much she means to our family. My son had been having random problems for 5-6 months. No one could figure it out. This past spring, she called and knew something was immediately wrong with him. She said go to Children’s Mercy downtown, he needs to get checked ASAP. She called them, so when we arrived it was seamless. Hours later, they found a lot of fluid and a tumor in his brain. Successful surgery the next morning. ????
Scariest time of our lives and thank we God she caught him in one of his moments or we never would have been ordered and MRI.
On top of an amazing nurse… an incredible person. ?? Last year a part-time nurse at our school told me (before any of this)… ‘She could work anywhere and is beyond qualified. We are SO lucky to have her!!’
I am and will forever be grateful.
Shay- Thank you for everything you do at STS!
You will always have a special place in my heart! You treat my daughter like she is your own and I never have to worry about Ella when I know you are at school with her. Last year was one of the hardest years in my life and I’m forever grateful you were there to help guide us through it. I know God brought you into our lives for a reason. ?????? You are the BEST!!
Nurse Shay really makes the kids and the families feel well cared for. She went above and beyond checking in when my son Adam was in the hospital last year. Her support and reaching out truly made a difference to us. She is so appreciated!
Oh man! No truer words!! It’s such a peace of mind to know that my baby loves going to school and coming up with excuses to see his favorite nurse everyday :-) to know he’s taken care of and loved on through the daily struggles means the world to this mama! You are the best Nurse Backes! We love you!!
Nurse Shay is one of the hardest working Mother/Nurses I have ever met. Nurse Shay has gave me the confidence, that the children can have a normal and safe school year and allowed parents to focus on their career. This year I sent my 5 year old daughter with a heart condition and two surgeries under belt to kindergarten. Never once have I worried about my children’s safety or that any symptom's would be unnoticed. Nurse Shay watches all our children like her own. She is also involved in the community surrounding the school organizing and coaching sports teams. I often see her in the evening with her three children on the soccer field-including a two year old that keeps her running. I will be leaving as she is going to another practice knowing the next day she has a full day of kids in front of her. When others have days off- Nurse Shay is in Covid training learning the newest guidelines to satisfy the health department, other administrators and keep our numbers low- KEEPING US OPEN and kids going to school. I have considered her a hero since day one of this pandemic and thrilled she is being recognized!
Truer words have never been Spoken! Shay is the absolute best!!
You make me so proud Shay!
Jenny
