Laura McDonald is the school nurse for Gateway Crossroads and is a perfect fit for the position.

Ms. McDonald had always wanted to be a nurse–this decision was set in stone for her at a young age. After high school, she attended Community College of Baltimore County and later McDaniel College. She began working at a hospital for a while. Which is where she had one of her greatest accomplishments as a nurse.

It was a slow night at the hospital and one of the patients was dying. She stayed with him all night until the morning and found out that right after she left the patient had passed away. “It was like he was waiting for me to leave,” Ms. McDonald mentioned. This was fulfilling for her because she was able to comfort a dying patient during their final hours.

After working at the hospital, Ms. McDonald worked as a school nurse at East Middle School. The population was much larger than Gateway’s. “Eight hundred kids is a big difference compared to 70,” she stated. A typical day there was much more chaotic than a typical day here. A normal day here for her is much calmer and slower. Despite this, Ms. McDonald is very thoughtful when it comes to tough situations.

Outside of school, Ms. McDonald loves to spend her time reading. Her favorite book is, “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” by Sarah J. Maas, which is fantasy.

Other than reading, Ms. McDonald likes plants and animals. She has four cats (Tom, Chicken, Neptune, and Squeaky) and 150 house plants! 

Even when she doesn’t need to come to work, she still wakes up around 5 a.m. because she goes to bed early as well. Once she has her coffee, she scrolls through social media and then tries to get a walk in. After that, she does whatever her kids want to do.

Ms. McDonald is an amazing nurse and human being. She takes care of both people and animals. And she has an amazing taste in books.