What is your ratio?

I am the only nurse in a district of approximately 950 students. Our elementary school has ECE, pre-k and K-6. This is where my office is and where I spend most of my time. Grades 7-12 are in the Jr/Sr high building. I go there 2 afternoons a week and when there are requests from the building administrator. The campuses are less than a mile apart.

My district has plenty of issues, but I have to admit...I have it pretty good.

I have a small high school of 665 and an early college school downstairs of 96 that is supposed to grow by 100 each year; it just opened. So I have a total of 761 with a nurse assistant, so that's not bad. We do stay busy with chronic problems, medications, and rambunctious 14-17 year olds getting into drugs or other bad teen behaviors. So it's 2:800! May all schools follow suit with the growing population becoming more needy.

we are a k-5 school with 800 students to 1 nurse.

Gack! I work in a middle school with 900 students.I checked my records for 07-08...I'm seeing about 65-90/day--that works out to roughly 300-450/week, or 1100-1800/month. Yeep! No wonder I'm so tired!

(did I mention that my students also have poor access to healthcare, poor nutrition, low socioeconomic status, and gangs? sheesh)

1 high school -- 1300 students -- 1 nurse(me) & 1 aide.

I work in 1 high school building with about 1,000. Keeps me busy, but I'm not overwhelmed.

We have 6 K-5 elementary schools with a total of about 2560 kids (430 in mine) each with a nurse, 2 middle schools (800 in each) with 1 1/2 nurses each, and one HS of about 2000 kids with 2 1/2 nurses AND we have a full time nurse leader and a team of subs who do our vision and hearing screenings. We are so lucky!!

We have 6 K-5 elementary schools with a total of about 2560 kids (430 in mine) each with a nurse, 2 middle schools (800 in each) with 1 1/2 nurses each, and one HS of about 2000 kids with 2 1/2 nurses AND we have a full time nurse leader and a team of subs who do our vision and hearing screenings. We are so lucky!!

Wow! You are lucky! I would think I had died and gone to heaven!

I am the only nurse for 4 rural districts in north missouri. About 400 kids total. I love my job. The secretaries hold down the forts when I am in the other buildings. I grew up and small town north Mo. and LOVE the small school atmosphere.

NASN : http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=525

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, of New York, introduced a bill on June 5, 2008 on behalf of herself and Rep. Lois Capps of California to reduce the student-to-school nurse ratio in public secondary schools, elementary schools and kindergarten. The Act would provide competitive grants through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to eligible states and report to Congress on the effectiveness of the program on health and education outcomes.

Currently, more than 50 percent of public schools in the United States do not have a full time Registered Nurse (National Association of School Nurses, 2008). Wide ratio disparities exist from state to state, within school districts, and between urban and rural schools.

The bill is cosponsored by Reps. Marion Berry and Mike Ross of Arkansas, Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota, George Butterfield of North Carolina, and Barney Frank of Massachusetts. Rep. McCarthy is a licensed practical nurse, and Rep. Capps is a registered nurse and former school nurse.

NASN is currently circulating a support letter for this bill to organizations and groups concerned with the health and education of children.

The full text of the bill can be found at the Library of Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:h6201

NASN Nurse to Student Ratio Toolkit

http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=367

NASN presents this toolkit, reflecting the most current resources and information on this topic. It is NASN's goal to continually support efforts to improve school nurse-to-student ratios

Be sure to check the materials if making presentations to PTA, school board members or administrators, and have them in front of you if talking to the media. Share with reporters and legislators, adminsitrators, and and all child health stakeholders.