The author Carol Mithers goes on to describe in detail the consequences of a growing shortage of school nurses in American public schools. She quotes data from the National Association of School Nurses that show that “only 45 percent of the nation’s public schools have a full-time on-site nurse. Thirty percent have one who works part-time — often dividing her hours between multiple school buildings — and a full 25 percent have no nurse at all.”
The reason? Budget cuts, of course. The results? “Teachers, school secretaries and health aides must step in to fill the gap,” Ms. Mithers says, “and the potential for mistakes increases.”