Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/939681
In 2010, California had 2,187 students per school nurse, according to the National Association of School Nurses. By 2015, that ratio rose to 2,784:1, with ratios var ying wildly among counties, according to Kidsdata.org. During 2015 in Santa Cruz County, for example, the ratio was a shocking 8,920:1; in Tuolumne it was 6,122:1; and in Monterey, 6,574:1. In 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics recom- mended that every school have a nurse. Twenty-two states require school nurses, and 15 states require staffing ratios. California is not among them, despite state and federal laws that require districts to meet the medical needs of students with disabilities and health conditions. A 2015 study by SRI International, involv- in g re search ers from S acram ento St at e University, UC Berkeley and University of Wisconsin-Madison, examines how Califor- nia schools are meeting health service needs during the school day. e study concludes that a large population of children lacks access to minimal health services during the school day ; that only 43 percent of school districts employ a school nurse; and that 1.2 million California students attend schools in the 57 percent of school districts without one. "It is not a stretch to speculate that all children [in dis- tricts without school nurses] — and especially children with special health care needs — are experiencing poorer health and academic outcomes because they don't have access to school nurses," states a summary of the report. Griffin-Myers believes the situation may worsen. "As more people lose health insurance, we are going to see more students who will rely on schools for health care. So we are going to need more school nurses. It is important that nurses speak up, because students are unable to advocate for themselves." While working harder, school nurses have found ways to help students stay healthier through prevention, education, community partnerships, and a strong dose of can-do spirit. A dv i c e j u st a p h o n e ca l l away How do 12 school nurses help meet the needs of 54,000 students in the Corona-Norco Unified School District? School nurses started a help line that allows for telephone triage, so serious problems get instant attention. Nurses rotate the position, and when a nurse is on call, they are responsible for answering questions from office staff, health clerks who are trained to provide first aid, registration clerks with questions about immunizations, and administrators and parents. They confirm activities and procedures for nurses out in the field. It was nurses who dreamed up the call center over a decade ago, when school nurses began to feel overwhelmed. "is help line allows the school nurses to do the work they need to do instead of fielding phone calls all day," says Norah Arrington, named 2017 School Nurse of the Year by the San Bernardino Riverside County School Nurses Orga- nization. "It allows for some of our diabetics who can inject their own insulin to be supervised by well-trained health clerks, who call in to verify insulin dose based on carb count and blood sugar. We take lots of calls about diabetics to determine a course of action during the day by looking at their health plan and physician orders." On-call nurses typically receive between 30 and 50 calls during a school day. "Advice nurses can access health plans for all district students. We ensure schools meet the requirements of public health laws we need more school nurses. It is important that nurses speak up, because students are unable to advocate for themselves." — F. NDIDI GRIFFIN-MYERS, SCHOOL OF NURSING, FRESNO STATE UNIVERSITY 27 F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 018 F. Ndidi Griffin-Myers At a Corona Norco Unified School District office, nurse Norah Arrington works a shift on the help line. "