MonticelloLive

Linda Moore Kemp was born and raised in Helena, Arkansas. Her father farmed grains, and her mother was a housewife. Linda is the youngest of four children.

Being a nurse was always a dream; however, it was not a career Linda pursued early in life. After high school she married and raised 2 children. It wasn’t until 1981 that she and her family moved to Monticello. That was the year she began her journey to become a nurse.

She found herself always “wanting to make things right when they are wrong.” Linda wanted to work after her kids were grown and found nursing the next step she would take.

She took classes toward a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing at UAM. Her teenage children kept life busy. But balancing family life and school paid off in 1987 when she earned her associate’s degree in nursing and became a registered nurse.

Linda worked for her state boards and licensing while employed at Jefferson Regional Hospital in Pine Bluff. She stayed there a year working in medical surgery. In 1988 she was hired as a home health nurse for the Arkansas Department of Health of Chicot County. She mainly cared for patients who had returned home after surgery. Her patients were mostly elderly. She advanced in her career and became a Home Health Specialist where she supervised home health nurses in Lincoln, Ashley, Chicot and Cleveland counties.

This prepared her for her last position with the Arkansas Department of Health. For four years Linda held the position of supervising administrator for Drew, Lincoln, Cleveland and Desha counties. On this level she made sure the clinics as a whole were up to code. She supervised the clinics administrators by helping them meet their target population goals. Each clinic is required to reach a certain amount of people according to their population. They were to offer immunizations, family planning and WIC. Linda enjoyed working with people from around the state. After working collectively for 17 years she retired from the Arkansas Department of Health.

At that point, Linda was ready for a slower pace of life. Her husband had retired and she was looking forward to spending more time with him. So in October 2005, she became the Monticello School District school nurse. She loved the school hours and working for the Health Department prepared her for working with children. Her office is at Monticello Elementary School where she works Monday, Tuesday and Friday. On Wednesdays she is at Monticello Intermediate School. Thursday she spends the day at Monticello Middle School. She is available MHS when she is needed. She also covers the Preschool, Adult Ed. and Occupational School.

She enjoys being there for the kids. She helps out when they are sick or they get hurt. Her motto is to “make a decision as if I were the parent.” Her other responsibilities are:

This has been a busy week for Linda. The schools average 25 students absent a day. Last week has seen record-breaking absences. On Thursday at MES there were over 150 absent. This is the worst the district has seen in years which led to the school canceling school this past Friday. The staff sanitized the school and hoped that it would give the children time to get better.

Linda’s advice for all of us is to get a flu shot every year but also to wash your hands often. If you contract the virus, stay home and rest. Drink lots of fluids, and do not go out in public until you are fever-free for 24 hours.

Although the flu season is tough this year, Linda is thankful for her job. Her goal is healthy children. She believes that if they are sick, can’t see or hear, then they can not learn. Nursing for Linda is a way of life. And she is glad that the Monticello schools are a part of hers. She loves the added bonus of seeing her granddaughters on a regular basis at their particular schools. Linda considers it a privilege to make sure the Monticello Schools has healthy students. And because of this year’s flu season, Monticello is thankful for her! Linda Kemp - one Monticello Life.