Butler County Schools lead nurse Debbie Hyatt was recently elected to serve on the board of directors for the Alabama Association of School Nurses.

Hyatt will serve on the board’s nominating committee for one year.

“My position will be to find qualified nurses that I feel might be good in leadership positions within the organization and try to convince them to run for that particular office,” Hyatt said.

Hyatt, who works at Greenville High School, has been a nurse in the Butler County school system for 10 years. She became the lead nurse for the system just less than two years ago.

Prior to going to work for the school system, Hyatt worked for Life Flight in Pensacola, Fla., and for trauma centers in Pensacola and Chattanooga, Tenn. She’s also worked in home health, labor and delivery, employee health, intensive care and outpatient surgery during her 33-year nursing career.

Hyatt said it was the chance to impact students that led her to her current position.

“I like the busy clinic environment and have enjoyed getting to know the parents and students and assisting them in learning how to manage their health conditions,” she said. “Each student I take care of is being instructed in some way on how to manage their health and ultimately take care of themselves for life. I enjoy that aspect the most, I believe. Helping young people learn health management habits that will follow them through life is so important.   My motto, which is posted on the wall of my office says, ‘Children must be healthy to learn, and learn to be healthy.’”