Previously I wrote about the importance of school psychologists and how public schools are short changing students by not having enough services available. According to the National Association of School Nurses, this is another endangered school service.
Today’s school systems face too many budget cuts that are affecting public school nurses according to the Huffington Post. School’s are either hiring outside agencies to handle health care or are stretching the school nurse’s responsibilities to several schools during a workweek.
Today’s ideal ratio, in accordance to the National Association of School Nurses, should be 1:750 well students or 1:125 students with complex health needs (students who require complex health procedures, special therapy or specialized medical equipment/supplies to enhance or sustain their lives during the school day). According to huffingtonpost.com 45% of public schools have a nurse all day and 30% have part time nurses leaving 25% with no nurse. Some schools are beginning to outsource nursing services to the private sector.
Outsourcing is one way districts hope to save money. But is it having an impact on learning and achieving? Is confidentiality at risk? Are there hidden costs? How well do they know our students?
The most important part of the school nurse’s day is to keep children learning as long a possible. Duties range from tending to a paper cut to helping a pregnant teen stay in school. I witnessed a school nurse assist a teacher that had a heart attack and another caring for a teacher that had a seizure.
The professional responsibilities have not changed but the number of students with chronic health conditions that include asthma, diabetes, and allergies is what is increasing. This doesn’t count the diagnosed mental health conditions that are tended to daily (anxiety, mood disorders, eating disorders. obsessive-compulsive disorder, stress disorder).
Before the beginning of the new school year, the school nurse checks immunizations of new students, aids in physicals of bus drivers and student athletes, conducts health screenings and referrals for health conditions, reviews and updates medical records, and makes connections with community resources.
Continuing into the school year, the nurse assists with individual health plans, works with teachers in classrooms, checks heads for lice, measures the growth progress of each child and administers vision and hearing tests. Throughout the year the nurse continues to alert the staff of all health care needs while taking care of the minor and major injuries that occur during the day. They also participate in child study meetings, health assessments, open house, conference, and staff meetings.
Every one of our students benefit from the assessment and treatment skills of a quality school nurse. They keep our children in the classroom where instruction and learning are the primary goals. Healthy children make better schools.
With increasing health needs nurses in our schools is an important issue. Don’t assume there is a nurse in every building. Some school sites are visited only once per week or on call for a nurse.
There is a need for health care reform in education. School nurses need ongoing professional development in First Aid and CPR for all staff members and AED’s need placed in each building.
Nurses keep our children well. They pay attention to each child and recognize trouble before it develops into a major problem.
Know where your state stands with the nurse-to-student ratio (ratio chart is available on the website nursingworld.org). Make calls to your school to find information on the availability on a school nurse. Educators and parents need to take a stand on our children’s health needs. As to outsourcing, there is no agency that can provide consistent care like the school nurse offers to our students.
