When asked to think about the job of an intensive care nurse, one may imagine a fast-paced jog down the white hallways of a hospital, beeping heart monitors and gracious patients. While the position of an elementary school nurse may not conjure the same images, these medical professionals often experience the same emergencies, motivations and rewards as nurses in large clinics.

One nurse, Sherry Freeland, made the switch from hospital nurse to school nurse after 25 years, and found that the new position rewarded her with more freedom and creativity, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Freeland found that in addition to her usual responsibilities of caring for patients, her job in the small clinic of a Richardson, Texas, elementary school allowed her to shape her own presentations - for example, the hand-washing tutorial she gave the second-grade class this week.

Freeland, who tied for the title of Top Nurse in Texas, is also responsible for administering asthma treatments, caring for a child with spina bifida, and staying vigilant for signs of swine flu. She told the news source, "It's like running a mini-emergency room."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that the employment of registered nurses will grow about 23% until 2016, which is a much faster growth rate than the average for all jobs.