In 1902, Lina Rogers was sent to New York City’s Lower East Side to work with students and families to decrease absenteeism. Lina kept meticulous records. When she presented her data, the NYC Board of Health saw her overwhelming success. They hired more school nurses and organized a public school nursing program, the first offered anywhere in the world.
The Board of Health realized school nurses removed the health barriers that kept students out of school. They did this in three ways. They treated the problem. They educated parents and students to prevent illness. Finally, they took the steps necessary to keep all the students as safe as possible.
Over 100 years later, our goals remain the same, but the complexity of the students has increased dramatically. March 27, 2009, was School Health Advocacy Day in Florida. The Proclamation delivered on that day stated:
“It is recognized that the goal of school nursing is:
to remove the barriers to a student’s education,
to improve student safety and
to educate and empower students to live healthier lives.”
One of every five students in Florida has a chronic health condition that can impact his or her education. Health problems which are left untreated or improperly treated results in an inability to get to school for an education. The school nurse, working with the student and his family, strives to remove the health barriers to a student’s education.
Mary Jackman, a school nurse at Vineland Elementary in Charlotte County, works with many students with chronic health problems. “School nursing provides me with an opportunity to education children and families about chronic illnesses such as asthma. I can spend time to teach, reteach, give positive feedback and see progress in a child’s understanding of their health. I feel that I impact lives on a one-on-one basis. I am there when a child does not feel well. I am there to speak with a parent on a daily or occasional basis. I make a difference to the children that I care for. I am there for them. I am not nameless or faceless but a presence who has information about health and wellness.”
Education is a vital component of school nursing. Whether one-on-one or in a group setting, school nurses work to empower students with the information they need to make healthy choices. Some school nurses do a “Wellness Wednesday” on their in-school TV. These 2-4 minute broadcasts teach students and staff valuable lessons on health, safety and nutrition and give exposure to the school nurse and her profession.
School nurses work within their schools to promote student safety, whether it is delivering safe care in the clinic to a student with a health problem or administering medications (over 20,000 meds are dispensed daily in Florida schools) or promoting safety throughout the school with food safety or playground safety. It may also involve epidemiology after a bacterial meningitis outbreak, or preparing a school for a lockdown crisis situation.
Amy Barnes, a school nurse in Lee County and a FNA Clinical Excellence winner, describes her profession as “the hardest job I ever loved.” She goes on to say, “Who would have thought that as a school nurse I would be involved with more emergency life saving interventions than I was in all my years as a hospital nurse. I have often said that one day I would write a book entitled, I Couldn’t Make This Up if I Tried!”
On Wednesday, May 6, 2009, school nurses throughout the nation will celebrate National School Nurse Day. This year’s theme is “School Nurses: Meeting Needs of Today’s Students.” Connie Blackwell of Collier County, Florida’s 2009 School Nurse of the Year, was asked by the Naples Daily News, What’s so special about being a school nurse? Her answer, “I have learned by trial and error to see past the complaint and if needed care for the whole family. I respect the saying that ‘every child can learn,’ but feel it would read better ‘every healthy child can learn.’ I have to say, I love what I do.”
Today, we are finding the role of the school nurse is even more valuable than it was 100 years ago. At my high school, our vision is “To prepare every student for success.” One of the stake holders intimately involved with student success is the school nurse. Whether she is treating a cut, making a medical referral, counseling a student, helping a parent find a medical home, working on a nursing care plan, addressing a chronic health condition, doing health education or serving on a school’s Safety or Disaster Preparedness committee, she is actively working to promote student success, not just in school, but in life.
Kathy
Kathleen C. Rose, RN MHA NCSN
President, Florida Association of School Nurses
President@FASN.net