I just received the 2014 School Nurse Survey done each year by the Department of Health and Human Services. The information that I am sharing with you comes from this department's "Special Medical Services School Nurse Survey 2014". Their response rate for this survey was 97.2% and provides us with accurate information. I want to share with you some of the facts from this report so that you can see what school nursing has become over the years. Just as we know academic skills help our students attain success, we also know that a student's mental and physical health are factors. As stated in this report, "school nurses become an essential component of a comprehensive health system".
I'll start with the overwhelming number of medical procedures provided by the school nurses- it appears they often do more business than a health clinic. 90.8% of the school nurses in New Hampshire provide oral medications; 61.2% provide blood glucose testing; 56% give nebulizer treatments; and 48.9% handle personal toileting/diapers. This is not like when many of us were in school. The report goes on to say that nurses in our region are also dealing with medications that are considered "rescue medications"- these include students who need asthma medications or use epi-pens. Along with all of these services, comes the paperwork and charting, not to mention, getting the timing correct for all the students who are taking medications.
In our area of the state (southeastern), the ratio of nurses to students is 1:414. Our nurses, Joanne Morrison, Monique Gauthier, and Victoria Doremus, have somewhat higher ratios than this: At Raymond High School the ratio is 1:453; at the Iber Holmes Gove Middle School, 1:424; and at the Lamprey River Elementary School, 1:557. This is a lot of patients (patience). The report included some open-ended responses and states that "three main themes ...emerged from the open-ended responses". These three are: "School nurses have a large array of responsibilities and and duties they must conduct each day; school nurses work extensively with Children with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN); and there are growing mental health concerns in the student population."
I want to call attention to the many other "large array of responsibilities and duties" our nurses have. You've noticed by now that no where does this report mention administering band-aids; fixing playground injuries; calling parents; finding food for a hungry student; eye exams; checking for lice; running a staff flu shot clinic; conducting hearing exams; monitoring immunizations; 504 meetings; school safety; finding clean clothes for a student; medicaid reporting; drug assessments; changing bandages; keeping up with the latest medical care; writing information sheets for parents; ministering to sick children; finding sneakers, warm coats, and hats for students in need; budget issues; serving on committees; staff education; height and weight monitoring; preparing medications for field trips; and arranging for dental screenings. Even all of these things make up a partial list of the many varied issues our school nurses handle!
Just so you can get a better perspective on the services and duties for which our nurses are responsible, I have the number of office visits from the 2013-2014 school year. At the high school, there were 7,626 visits; at the middle school, 9,969 visits; and at the elementary school, 10,080 visits! You can see why our nurses are an essential part of our entire health system. It is these unsung champions who support our students' (and staff) health and safety needs. If you happen to see one of our school nurses, give them a big "thank you" and "job well done" from all of us!
