I asked school nurse Robin Cogan what makes her optimistic.
Robin told me, “My optimism is informed by a relentless pursuit of caring for children and families with complex health and social needs. Investing in the health, safety and well-being of community gives me hope that the seeds we plant today will bloom given a rich soil of compassion, nurturing, relationship building and belief in the promise each generation brings.”
I asked Robin about the inspirations in her life. Robin said, “Inspirational people have been fluid in my life. I have been impacted by musicians, teachers, artists, nursing legends like Lillian Wald, and thankfully, they keep coming.”
I asked Robin about the best infectiously optimistic leaders she has seen and what she does to infect her nursing students with optimism. Robin told me, “The Dean of Rutgers-Camden Nursing, Dr Donna Nickitas is infectiously optimistic. A true leader brings others forward and makes space for them to grow.
I also think passion is infectious, that is how I infect my students. My passion for school nursing and asking them to be endlessly curious hopefully impact their learning.”
I asked Robin about the ways in which she maintains and increases her own optimism. Robin said, “I find the use of social media, especially Twitter helps increase my optimism because I find like-minded people doing great work. My goal is to elevate the profile of school nursing and to grow collaborations across sectors in innovative and informative ways.”
Robin Cogan is a school nurse in the Camden City School District. Robin is Adjunct Faculty at Rutgers-Camden School of Nursing where she teaches in the School Nurse Certificate Program and serves as the Practicum Supervisor.