[bergren]

Front page story December 13th, 2005

Nurse shortage puts school kids at risk

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...es_x.htm?csp=1

[SmilingBluEyes]

tell me about it. When my son was in school, they had ONE school nurse for like 8 or 9 schools. And clerks can't take their place. They still had to have parents come rushing over for anything more than a minor scrape. The clerks have enough to do w/o dealing with sick or injured kids and trying to help them. But tell the school districts, strapped for cash, this one.

[Katnip]

I agree. When my daughter had a terrible headache, the "health aide" called me. I told her to give DD Motrin. She couldn't. Even with permission. I had to go down there and give DD Motrin.

To be honest, I don't know what health aides do besides calling the parents to come get them and hand out sanitary pads. They mean well, but from what I've seen they just don't do anything that somebody in the office can't do.

[bergren]

There are two studies that I am aware of that show non nurses send students home more often than nurses who can assess them and send back to class when appropriate:

Wyman, L. L. (2005). Comparing the number of ill or injured students who are released early from school by school nursing and nonnursing personnel. Journal of School Nursing, 21(6), 350–355. (57% more often than nurses )

Buchwalter, P. (2005). Differences in school health practice between school nurses and unlicensed assistive personnel
http://apha.confex.com/apha/133am/te...per_110412.htm (nurses were significantly more likely than UAP to return students to class)

[lvn2004]

When I saw that on the Today show last week I called my son's school and told the superintendent about the segment on the today show and reminded him that I had put in my application for a school nurse position over the summer. He said "We have one nurse and 4 nurse's aide's right now but if we ever need another nurse I will keep you in mind." This is CRAZY!!!!!!!!! There are 5 schools out here and only one licensed nurse to care for our kids. The "nurse's aide's" are unlicensed, untrained individuals from off the street. This really bothers me.

[Judee Smudee]

US News and World report carried this story. In yesterday's issue there were several letter to the editor about the story. One letter was from a school secretary who listed some very serious medical conditions she had dealt with in her day. She bragged about how competently she had dealt with this situations. What she did not realize was that her letter would make any trained medical persons blood run cold.

[Sheri257]

My instructor actually wants to work as a school nurse. She's got the required bachelor's degree and certifications (which can take up to an extra year to obtain). But all of the school districts have cut back on those positions and there are no openings. So in our area, it's not so much the nursing shortage that's causing the problem but the budget cutbacks. They just don't want to pay for RN's.

[CRNAhopefulguy]

well first off, school nurses get paid didly squat unless u have a masters and get paid teachers wages. the nurses dont make enough and the ones i saw worked second jobs just to make enough money and this is a person your trusting your children with. I took community rotation and most of school nurses were only lpns and the school districts are required only to have one nurse per school district although theirs like 10 schools in the district. then theirs the issue of how many students they each get, most get like 700 or even more. also someone mentioned about medicines. in the beginning of the year you get a packet where you can give permission to give certain medicines, like tylenol, ibuprofen, etc etc, but they are not allowed to give an antihistamine or other because it will make them drowsy and not concentrate. Also, its amazing to see how many students are just coming in with the excuse, oh i have a headache or blah blah and bam, tylenol or ibuprofen and they do this on a daily basis. kids are just popping pills in school now like its no big deal.