Robertson County Schools’ Nursing Coordinator Amber Hester was recently elected as president of the Tennessee Association of School Nurses.
She began her career in care-giving in 2003 as a Unit Clerk at the former Baptist Hospital in Nashville, TN. She was promoted to a Patient Care Tech when she began her formal training in nursing and served as a Registered Nurse after her graduation (Cum Laude) from Tennessee State University in 2005.
While at Baptist, the majority of her experience was in medical/surgery nursing, with two years that additionally included serving as a Nurse Preceptor, teaching and supervising new nurses.
Hester began her job as a school nurse with Robertson County Schools in 2008. From 2011 to 2016 she was the district’s full-time float nurse, providing extra support to school nurses with heavy clinic schedules and providing school clinic coverage when assigned nurses were absent. These responsibilities often required covering multiple schools in a day. In 2017, she was promoted to the district Nursing Coordinator position, where she currently serves.
In 2019, Hester worked with Tennessee State Representative, Dr. Sabi Kumar, and spoke to the Tennessee House Education Committee, to create a legislative bill that would advance the position of School Nurses across the state.
On a personal level, Hester lives with her two teenage daughters and her grandmother whom she is caregiver for. The four of them enjoy the additional companionship of their three dogs and one cat. For relaxation she enjoys the outdoors, music, and spending quality time with extended family and friends.
Hester began her official duties Thursday, October 28, and will serve a two-year term. She said she’s looking forward to her new responsibilities.
“I am honored to have been elected into this role by my peers,” she said, adding, “My goal is to use my time in this role to provide opportunities for professional growth and development for nurses across the state. I hope to assist in the advancement of the profession of school nursing in the state of TN by being an advocate for my fellow nurses at both the local and state level.”
Director of Schools, Dr. Chris Causey said Hester is representative of the district’s medical professionalism and care.
“We have one of the best school nursing programs in the state,” he said, “and are proud that Ms. Hester can now share her expertise and leadership with this organization on a state-wide scale.”
