Comments on: Consumer Reports Assesses Need for Nurses in Schools /consumer-reports-assesses-need-for-nurses-in-schools/ Future of Nursing Thu, 29 Sep 2016 21:05:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0.10 By: Ben Kreider /consumer-reports-assesses-need-for-nurses-in-schools/#comment-93 Thu, 29 Sep 2016 21:05:00 +0000 /?p=9953#comment-93 The linked article is an alarming read, as is the CDC report it cites. Nevertheless, both are worth reading in detail. Per the CDC (2015), only 50.8 percent of US schools in 2014 were found to have nurses that worked 30 or more hours per week, while only 82 percent had a school nurse in any capacity. Those schools who had nurses had only one on average who worked an average of 25.6 hours per week (CDC, 2015).

According to an expert with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation cited in the article, budget cuts in education are responsible: school nurses are either being laid off or spread thin across multiple schools (Roberts, 2016). The most famous example would likely be the Philadelphia school system, which cut nearly 100 school nurses over the 2011-2012 school year (Erb, 2013). Tragically, the cuts in Philadelphia may have contributed to the death of a child. Twelve-year old Laporshia Massey died in 2012 from asthma-related complications that began during the school day; unable to get proper treatment because her school did not have a nurse available at the time, Massey died on the way to a local hospital after being sent home (Erb, 2013).

These statistics would be unacceptable even in the context of treating relatively benign conditions such as upper respiratory tract infections and the occasional schoolyard injury. Much as the educational development of children and adolescents is entrusted to professional teachers, so too should their health and wellness be entrusted to registered professional nurses. School-age children and adolescents go through substantial growth and development, and a large part of their day takes place in the school setting. Keeping them healthy is a full-time job that should not be passed off to unlicensed and untrained school personnel.

The CDC report is particularly galling, however, when considered alongside findings that pediatric chronic diseases, such as allergies, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder, are on the rise (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016). Children with chronic diseases need school nurses to ensure that their conditions are managed appropriately, especially children that require daily medication, such as type 1 diabetics. To make matters worse, increases in childhood disease have been most dramatic in children living in poverty (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016). Those who would hardest hit by budget cuts responsible for the nursing shortage would thus the same children who would need school nurses most.

It is darkly amusing to see the author’s attempts to find a silver lining throughout all this. One “bright spot”, apparently, is that the CDC reports that “almost 10 percent” of schools have a staff physician available full- or part-time (Roberts, 2016)—cold comfort to those 9 out of 10 schools which must do without. The author also notes that Sen. Tester of Montana has introduced a bill in Congress to increase funding for nurses in public schools (Roberts, 2016); she fails to mention, however, that a prior incarnation of the same bill died in committee back in 2014, and that the current version will likely share a similar fate (Civic Impulse, 2016).

One piece of good news which the author does mention is that Philadelphia has remedied their school nurse crisis for the time being. The 2016-2017 state budget pushed forward by governor Tom Wolf substantially increased education funding to the point that Philadelphia schools now have school nurses employed in every school building (Sheridan, 2016; Graham, 2016a). Although this progress is limited and still temporary—Philadelphia school district expenses still loom, and the school nurses may be cut once again after the budget falls into deficit by 2019 (Graham, 2016b)—it is still a step in the right direction.

References

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016, April 30). Percentage of U.S. children who have chronic health conditions on the rise. Retrieved from AAP.org: https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/Percentage-of-U-S–Children-Who-Have-Chronic-Health-Conditions-on-the-Rise.aspx

CDC. (2015). Results from the School Health Policies and Practice Study 2014. Retrieved from CDC.gov: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/shpps/pdf/shpps-508-final_101315.pdf

Civic Impulse. (2016). S. 2572 — 114th Congress: NURSE act. Retrieved from Govtrack.us: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s2572

Erb, K. P. (2013, October 11). Did school layoffs & budget cuts contribute to girl’s death? Retrieved from Forbes.com: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2013/10/11/did-school-layoffs-budget-cuts-contribute-to-girls-death/#29b2d9114314

Graham, K. A. (2016, September 7). Philly schools superintendent Hite optimistic about new school year. Retrieved from Philly.com: http://articles.philly.com/2016-09-07/news/75300240_1_superintendent-hite-city-schools-hite-jr

Graham, K. A. (2016, September 28). Philly school superintendent Hite says district in great shape now, but deficits loom. Retrieved from Philly.com: http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20160928_Philly_schools_superintendent_Hite_says_district_in_great_shape_now__but_deficits_loom.html

Roberts, C. (2016, September 26). The school nurse is in… maybe. Retrieved from ConsumerReports.org: http://www.consumerreports.org/health/the-school-nurse-is-in-maybe/

Sheridan, J. (2016, July 10). Memo: Governor Wolf secures historic increases to education in 2016-17 budget. Retrieved from PA.gov: https://www.governor.pa.gov/governor-wolf-secures-increases-education-budget/

]]> By: Sam Radin /consumer-reports-assesses-need-for-nurses-in-schools/#comment-89 Wed, 28 Sep 2016 22:03:00 +0000 /?p=9953#comment-89 I think this article raises some very interesting points about the lack of nurses in the school setting. It seems almost preposterous that half of our nation’s schools do not have a registered nurse available to students. This is especially prevalent today since the rise of obesity, allergies such as peanuts, and the anti-vaccine movement, for example, can all lead to serious health concerns for children. Schools now more than ever need a trained health professional on site during all school hours. It is a shame that school nurses are being let go due to education budget reductions, as they really are a vital member of the school staff. It is my hope that boards of education across the nation can rework their budgets to adjust for school nurses to keep their jobs. When I was growing up in New Jersey, our school nurse also functioned as a gym and health teacher as well. Having one person do multiple roles could potentially help save

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