The Academy recommends one nurse per school

Consistent with a May 2016 policy statement that implies the role encompasses far more than simply health care, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends one school nurse per school nationwide. “The role of the school nurse has evolved and become increasingly important since its introduction in the United States more than a century ago, but school district policies regarding school nurses are not uniform and should be updated, according to a statement issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics,” the discharge said. AAP press release. The privacy policy was published within the June issue of Pediatrics and calls for the supply of at the very least one full-time RN in every school, replacing an earlier 2008 policy statement that really helpful a ratio of 1 school nurse to 750 students within the healthy student population and 1:225 for population in need of every day nursing assistance. In the 2016 statement, the essential authors, MD. Breena Welch Holmes and Anne Sheetz, MPH, RN wrote that “as more children with special health needs attend school, the school nurse plays a critical role in disease management, often working closely with children and reinforcing home health recommendations and providing treatment during the school day. Feedback mechanisms regarding students’ responses to the school’s treatment plan are critical to timely treatment in areas such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, and life problems. threatening allergies, asthma and seizures, as well as for the growing population of children with behavioral problems. School nurses play an important role in interpreting medical orders in an educational setting and may, for example, be involved in developing action plans for children. epilepsy treatment and safe transportation of a child with special health needs.” The announcement comes just two months after U.S. News and World Report published the article “Many School Districts Don’t Have Enough School Nurses” by education journalist Lauren Camera. A March 2016 article stated that “fewer than half of the nation’s public schools employ a full-time nurse, and in a number of the worst cases – mostly in poor, urban school systems – there is just one nurse for each 4,000 students.” The article quoted Beth Mattey, MSN, RN, NCSN, president of the National Association of School Nurses, who said, “This has absolutely real consequences. If you have a child who is not healthy, who does not feel well, who has a toothache, they will not learn. School nurses keep kids in schools.” According to the National Education Association website, a school nurse does much more than just offer band-aids and flu shots. “A typical schedule may include vaccinations, screenings, hearing and vision tests, dealing with accidents at home, diseases such as diabetes and asthma, student obesity, special needs such as tube feeding, preventing the spread of disease through contact with blood, and side effects against mental, emotional and social problems, including arranging breakfast and clothing for disadvantaged students, and even helping students who are homeless or whose parents are in prison,” the web site reads. “For some students, the college nurse is the one health care skilled they see.” According to NEA statistics, there are roughly 50,000 nurses employed in U.S. schools, but more are needed to satisfy the CDC’s really helpful ratio of 1 nurse to 750 students. “The reality is different from the recommendations; approximately 59% of schools have a student-to-nurse ratio,” in keeping with the NEA website. To comment, please write an email [email protected]. More details about school nurses could be present in the CE module “School RNs Conduct Educational Activities for Students with Diabetes.”