SAN DIEGO -- Vista Grande Elementary School nurse Juliett de la Paz is heartbroken and in tears because she might lose her job.

She's also upset because students she now takes care of may soon not get the help they need.

"Because it's so much more than just Band-Aids and 'boo-boos,' because that's what they think we do," said de la Paz.

She and 38 other San Diego Unified School District nurses could receive a pink slip this week.

It's an emotional time, not just for de la Paz but for those who have relied on her.

One of the students she takes care of is Michael Williams, who has diabetes. When Michael is in need of shots, he turns to de la Paz.

"If Michael's blood sugar gets too low, he needs a shot of Glucogen. If there's nobody here that can give him that shot and he's unconscious, he could die," said Michael's mother, Bonnie Williams.

School district spokeswoman Ursula Kroemer said the cuts could mean some schools might not have a nurse on site.

"There may be certainly nurses who end up sharing sites. We're also aware of some of the friends of a school's organizations that are taking it upon themselves to do the fundraising and recruitment so the cuts don't have to come from that area," said Kroemer.

That means some nurses might have to supervise more than one school.

It certainly is not a relief for de la Paz, who now knows most of her students' medical histories very well.

"Somebody said a student had been stung by a bee and we knew she had severe anaphylactic reaction to that so I was there. I just couldn't imagine what would happen if I wasn't there," said de la Paz.

Despite her uncertain future, de la Paz said she still hopes that layoffs are not final and that something will be done about the budget crisis.