Walking through the crowd of educators at the teachers rally outside the legislature Wednesday and holding up a sign that read, “Looking for a school nurse,” prompted a lot of shouted responses: “So are we!” “You got one?” “Only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.” “You’re looking for a unicorn.”
News
Nurses discuss how they contribute to school safety during School Safety Committee meeting
School safety and student mental health were the main topics discussed at the House Select Committee on School Safety meeting at the legislative office building in Raleigh on Monday. The committee, made up of lawmakers, was formed in response to the massacre in Parkland, Florida. Members have been discussing ways to make schools in North […]
NC is in desperate need of school nurses. Will it foot the $45 million to $79 million bill for more?
There are so few nurses in North Carolina’s public schools that a new state report says it could cost an additional $45 million to $79 million a year to help meet student health needs. There’s one school nurse for every 1,086 students, according to a state legislative staff report, meaning the majority of student medical […]
Stretched Too Thin
Amy Widderich is a woman in near constant motion. Whether it’s walking a queasy child from a classroom, taking a temperature or dispensing hugs and encouragement to anxious kids, Widderich, the nurse at Grove Park Elementary School in Burlington, rarely gets to complete a sentence before she’s interrupted by a child, or a teacher, or […]
Poverty, Health Have an Impact on Learning
Kudos to the News & Record for running articles devoted to the well-being of children, our greatest resource. The recent coverage included an excellent piece describing the League of Women Voters’ forum on poverty and academic achievement. Earlier commentary addressed training that school nurses will need for the growing problem of opioid addiction, an important […]
As Student Medical Needs Mount, School Nurses in Short Supply
North Carolina has 115 school systems, but, according to school system data, just five of those systems have a nurse dedicated to every school, which works out to one nurse for every 1,086 students. With more and more children needing help with complex medical issues, that ratio can have consequences for school staff and students. […]
Guilford budget to include additional school nurses
The News & Record published an article from Kate Elizabeth Queram regarding the proposed Guilford County budget for four additional school nurses and one nurse supervisor. Click to read more:
North Carolina continues to get mixed grades for children’s health issues
In a recently released annual report from NC Child and the NC Institute of Medicine on the overall health of our children, our state received mixed grades. Good progress in some areas, but also areas of “profound concern n” including our struggle to establish “proper student-to-nurse ratios”. Read more here:
A Nurse for Every School
The News & Record published the following from Robin Lane, chair of Guilford County Project ONE: A nurse in every school By Robin Lane Readers who care about the health of our children have lots to consider as they learn about the critical shortage of nurses in Guilford County’s public schools. Numbers tell the story. […]
Nursing shortage in schools is serious
The News and Record published a letter to the editor from Dr. Martha Perry, M.D., Director of the Pediatric Care Division in Cone Health Medical Group. In it, Dr. Perry reminded the community of the need for more nurses in Guilford County Schools and the impact of that need on teachers. Here is the text […]