Staff of the Week: Nancy C. Thompson

Nancy C. Thompson smiles under her mask. Indrani Basu/The Exonian

By Tina Huang, Taraz Lincoln and Amy  Lum

“I remember when a student came in through the Health Center door with a ten-foot pole stuck on his finger,” Director of Nursing Nancy Thompson said. “At the time, I was thinking ‘I can’t put this student in a car with a driver with a giant pole on his finger to go to the emergency room. I can’t call 911 to have them take off the pole.’… I ended up finding a gel that I could put on his finger, and it took a while, but we finally got the pole off…That was one of my funniest memories.”

Since joining the Academy in 2006, Thompson has been a backbone for both the nursing department and for her students and advisees.

Before coming to the Academy, Thompson attended Boston College for her undergraduate degree and Simmons College for her graduate degree. Following college, Thompson worked in the pediatric unit at a hospital in New York and then on the solid organ transplant unit at the Children’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. 

After her time in Boston, Thompson managed two pediatric practices in Kingston and Exeter. “There were ten providers between the two practices, seven doctors and three nurse practitioners. I helped to manage their schedules and their practices as well,” Thompson said.

Because Thompson’s work was mostly administrative in that role, she did not have much hands-on patient care. However, Thompson enjoyed her work. “I liked the people that I worked with,” Thompson said. “When I actually applied for this job, I wasn’t looking for another position. Someone had told me about it and I was like, ‘Oh, that sounds really interesting.’ So I applied.” 

Thompson’s love of working with adolescents brought her to the Academy. “I worked on the solid organ transplant unit…[and] the majority of the patients were adolescents. That’s when I really started to see how much I liked working with the adolescent population,” Thompson said. “So between the job opening and you know, the age group and just this beautiful campus, right smack in the middle of the town of Exeter…all of those things together brought me here, here at Exeter.”

Staff Nurse Danielle Ades admired Thompson’s dedication to students. “Ms. Thompson is very aware of and involved in the direct care of students which, from my experience, is not always typical of a Nursing Director,” Ades said.

“She makes sure collaboration exists with other disciplines such as Nutrition, Counseling and Athletics,” Ades said. “Her deep concern about the care we provide is reflected in the fact that we have her cell phone number and are encouraged to call her during off hours whenever needed.”

In addition to Thompson’s work ethic, Staff Nurse Christine Arlington noted Thompson’s inspiring personality. “She is a fierce advocate for what she believes in,” Arlington said. “She also has a great sense of humor, which makes everything better because who doesn’t want to laugh more?”

Though COVID-19 has hit the Academy hard, Thompson has been well prepared to fight back. Staff Nurse Michael Felber noted her outstanding work ethic. “She had to really re-imagine how the health center would function in the pandemic and put things in place to keep students and staff safe in a short period of time with constantly changing conditions,” Felber said. 

“Nancy Thompson is one of the reasons fall term happened,” Felber said. 

Ades agreed. “She is very involved in every aspect of the Health Center, which is a huge task under normal circumstances. It is hard to imagine all the work it must have taken in order to safely bring back students to campus.” 

When she’s not in the Lamont Health and Wellness Center, Thompson enjoys coaching and playing softball with students. Before coming to Exeter, however, coaching wasn’t really on Thompson’s radar—Associate Athletic Trainer Gordon Coole encouraged her to take the first step in coaching softball. Thompson originally started out as a part-time assistant and then a full-time assistant, before taking over the head coaching role.

Due to COVID-19, however, Thompson has stepped down from her head coaching position this year. “I wouldn’t have been able to [coach] because of my responsibilities here at the Health Center,” Thompson said. “But as far as the future [goes] ... I would like to get back to coaching, whether it’s as an assistant or maybe JV coach.”

While she can’t coach this year, Thompson has made lasting impacts on softball team members. “We have shared many student-athletes over the past 16 years,” Physical Education Instructor Melissa Pacific said. “Every reunion I get at least one comment on how appreciative they are for the values Nancy has instilled in them.”

Varsity softball member and senior Katie Moon agreed. “Coach Thompson is one of the most sincere, hard-working, and compassionate adults on campus,” Moon said. “She always pushed us to work our hardest at practice and didn’t give up on us during our most frustrating games.”

Fellow team member and upper Jamie Carlberg remembered a time when Thompson supported her. “Before I had been diagnosed with anxiety, I had an anxiety attack during softball practice, and I was super embarrassed,” Carlberg said. “But she called the Health Center for me and explained that it wasn’t my fault and that I was clearly suffering from anxiety. She was so kind and helpful about it.”

“She was more than just a coach on the field, she made connections with us on a deeper level, where I felt like she genuinely cared about every single one of us,” Moon added. “She made sure to check in with each other this past spring when we missed our spring season, and I am so grateful for all the time and dedication she has given the softball program.”

Despite her busy schedule at the Health Center and as a coach, Thompson dedicates time to check up on her advisees. “Ms. Thompson is the first person me and my fellow advisees can turn to when things get a little tough,” upper Malcolm John said.

When he came in as a new lower, senior Jun Lee appreciated Thompson’s guidance as an advisor. “She was always there for me to listen whenever I felt like I needed to reach out to an adult,” Lee said.

“I remember my prep year I had forgotten to get my out of town form signed by her, and I had to turn it in in 5 minutes,” upper Aiden Silvestri said. “I texted her and she responded quickly and signed it while coaching her softball team. It’s small moments like these that stick out to me because she is so willing to help.”

Upper Dilan Cordoba recalled an uplifting advising meeting with Thompson. “[Our advisory] would meet her in the basement of the Health Center, and she would bring us donuts and Gatorades,” Cordoba said. “There was a day where we all laid on the floor of the Health Center, and she guided us through a mediation. I remember that day being very overwhelming and that meeting was the highlight of my day.” 

Thompson’s caring nature is a powerful force in the community. “Whether it be staff, students, our yoga community and of course her family, Ms. Thompson treats each person with non-judgment and love,” Arlington said. “She has an innate ability to make people feel at ease and like you just sort of know everything will be alright.”