Are School Nurses Disappearing?

School Nurses

Jonathan Zaun

For most students who grew up during more prosperous economic times, the school nurse held a position of almost mythical stature, dispensing colorful cough drops and bandaging scraped knees. This matronly figure was a gatekeeper of sorts, holding in her hands the ability to send a child home sick for the afternoon, and in the process fulfilling every little boy or girl's secret wish of a personal day off. Of course, school nurses were also responsible for far more serious duties during the school day, such as monitoring the health plans of at-risk students and administering annual hearing and eyesight exams. Today's generation of elementary and high school students, however, are increasingly faced with the worrisome task of attending a full day of schooling without the safety net provided by a trained school nurse. Due to a confluence of factors, the most devastating of which is the shrinking of state budgets across America, school nurses are have become an increasingly rare commodity and "according to the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), only 45% of the nation's public schools have a full-time on-site nurse" (Mithers). The ramifications for this country's schoolchildren are disturbing to say the least, and in many cases, young students have actually lost their lives in the absence of a trained and qualified school nurse.

Mirroring the massive recession which afflicted America during the last few years, many individual states now find themselves facing impending budget crises. During each round of budget cuts a particular school district must decide which programs are considered "non-essential" and thus eligible for dissolution. The most vulnerable programs are those which are not mandated by state law and the number of states which require a school nurse is surprisingly low. Many school nurses who have trained to be certified as Registered Nurses are being replaced by "health aides," which is a term used loosely to describe any school employee who assists in the administration of health care to students. While most health aides are undoubtedly motivated by good intentions, the fact remains that these people lack the detailed training and extensive knowledge necessary to provide quality nursing. Incidents of student deaths resulting from easily preventable health situations have increased nationwide, and a growing furor has erupted over the school nurse shortage from concerned parents and teachers.