If you ever end up feeling under the weather this school year, visiting the nurse’s office will put you in good hands. Meet School Nurse Nicole Vicioso, the newest to join Portola High’s support staff.
Vicioso joined the staff in 2025 as the head school nurse, replacing the former school nurse. Her role has become increasingly crucial as the student population grows, according to Principal John Pehrson.
“As the school expands, we have a growing need for health support,” Pehrson said. “Every time we get a certain number of students, we get more nurse allocations. When we first started, the school was really small, and we only had about 40% allocation, but now we are at 100% allocation.”
Vicioso’s experience with helping her friend who had cancer inspired her to pursue a career in nursing. Before becoming a school nurse, Vicioso worked as an pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) nurse and as a nurse practitioner for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County. As a school nurse, she has worked in the district for 10 years at elementary and middle schools. Despite recently joining the staff, Vicioso quickly felt comfortable at Portola High School.
“This has been a really easy adjustment for me because everybody’s so welcoming and wonderful,” Vicioso said. “I love meeting all of the students. They are wonderful to talk with, as they ask a lot of great questions.”
One staff member, the health clerk Erin Rahe, has worked alongside Vicioso in receiving students, decorating the nurse’s office and establishing new health passes.
“The communication that we have, the teamwork, the support, there are many things I appreciate about her,” Rahe said. “She’s been a positive role model, and there are lots of new things I can learn from her.”
Vicioso appreciates how being a school nurse has allowed her to meet and converse with many students, as well as being able to care for them and get involved in their health. She encourages any aspiring nurses or doctors to continue on that path, since a degree in those careers offers many opportunities.
“What I really love about nursing is that you can take one profession and do a whole bunch of different things with it,” Vicioso said. “You get to care for people, you get to be involved in people’s health, which is really important and can help people live long lives.”
