This week's Teacher Feature shines the spotlight on our wonderful School Nurse, Ms Teja Rismondo.

We have been delighted to have Ms Rismondo join BISL at the beginning of the academic year, always on hand to ensure that the first aid needs of all students and staff are well taken care of. Her empathy, care, and kindness are evident through her work as our School Nurse, and as an Assistant Teacher in Early Years and Key Stage 1.

Briefly describe your journey as a nurse.

I always knew I wanted to be a Nurse or a Midwife, so after finishing school I went to university to train to become a Staff Nurse. In the last year of university, I also did an Erasmus exchange and went to study in Scotland for 4 months at the University of the West of Scotland in Ayr. I did a few placements in different hospitals there too. That's when I completely fell in love with the beautiful country and have been going back since then all the time.

After finishing my degree, I started working at the Paediatrics clinic in Ljubljana, in intensive care unit, where I mostly took care of newborn babies. I also started doing my Masters in Health Promotion, but then my baby came along and changed my plans, making me a proud mum of a 1-year-old boy. After my maternity leave, I was excited to join BISL and I think this is my dream job!

Why did you decide to specialise in healthcare?

I am a very empathetic and caring person and I always liked taking care of others, I really respect older people, which is one of the reasons why I volunteered to work in a nursing home for 2 years when I was in high school. That was why I decided to do a degree in nursing and not become a midwife. I now have experience in a wide spectrum of environments and different people that I can work with, from nursing homes to hospitals, schools, and psychiatric clinics.

How would you describe a typical day at BISL?

I usually come in early in the morning and answer my emails, get a cup of green tea, then head outside to greet the students as they arrive to school. During the day I'm outside when students have break time in case of any injuries. Then between break times, I usually support Early Years or Year 1 with their lessons as an Assistant Teacher.

Some children will come to see me in the Nurse's office during the day if they need a band-aid or have a headache, and I make sure they feel comfortable and are well taken care of as appropriate, contacting parents if necessary.

What makes BISL such a unique place to work?

BISL is a totally different place to work compared to my previous jobs. You feel so welcome in the whole community, people are kind, polite and always prepared to help, and the kids are great here. I think this is just a brilliant working environment and a great opportunity to get to know different nationalities, cultures and languages.

More from our Teacher Feature series