Spotlight: Susan Longcor, Norwescap Head Start & Early Head Start, Nurse

By: Gillian Baakman, Staff Writer

May sixth is national nurses day, and if 2020 taught us anything, it is that the world relies on
nurses. Though we have all dealt with a challenging year, those in the health department have
genuinely excelled and given us hope this past year.

Norwescap recognizes those in the health field and would like to thank all the nurses out there.
We would also love to thank our own Susan Longcor, who is Norwescap’s Head Start/ Early Head Start school nurse.

Susan graduated from Montclair University in 1968 and received her diploma in nursing, and
she has been practicing ever since. Susan has a long list of professional experience, from
working at numerous hospitals in New Jersey to multiple volunteer experiences with the
American Red Cross and the Warren County Health Improvement Coalition. Susan has also
received the New Jersey Heart of Head Start award in 2019 and the New Jersey Rural oral
Health Champion award.

In honor of this year’s national nurses day, our team decided to interview Susan and find out
exactly why she wanted to become a nurse and more; here is what she had to say.

What made you want to become a nurse?
I volunteered in High School at my local hospital, and that experience led me to pursue a career in nursing. It truly has been a very good choice as I have had many opportunities to make a difference in peoples’ lives. When making a career choice, it is important to have a passion for the job you do, and nursing is my passion

What do you love about being a Norwescap School Nurse?
I have had the honor to support the Norwescap Head Start Program for over 40 years. During
that time, many families and staff have been a part of my work life. They have enriched me as a
person, and I am hopeful that I was able also to enrich their lives. In addition, I have always had
the support of a wonderful health team, and they have made my job so much easier. They also
need to be celebrated on this National Nurses Day.

Nurses everywhere have been on the front lines this past year. How has your role shifted
over the past year?
I have had to shift my focus to keeping everyone as safe and healthy as possible during this time.
Keeping current in the ever-changing guidance during this pandemic and bringing this guidance
to policy and procedures for the program has been a major priority. I also needed to listen to
concerns and provide what support I could as the world we knew disappeared.

What inspiration and advice can you give to all the future nurses out there?
You have such a significant role as caregivers, from just holding a hand to exploring/researching
what medicine of the future will look like. The possibilities are limitless.

Norwescap would like to thank all the great, wonderful nurses out there that put others’ needs
above their own and are indeed a superhero. We could never have gotten through this past year
without all of you. As Susan stated in her interview, “It really is the health team’s effort… Please
make sure to thank them for this nurse’s day.”