In 2017, health care continues to be one of the more stressful topics that people encounter in their daily lives — from obtaining coverage to scheduling doctors’ visits, and then figuring out how to pay for it all.
If there is one thing that families can rely on, however, it is the high-quality care that their children receive while at school.
School nurses historically have played a crucial role in ensuring the health of not just our children but of our communities as a whole, focusing on preventing the spread of communicable diseases while also giving families the resources to educate themselves on how to keep their children healthy.
Yet, as the times and technology have changed, so, too, have school children’s needs changed — and grown.
“The needs of students, families and communities are complex,” noted Susan Perkins, district nurse at the Goleta Union School District.
“Communicable diseases are less of a concern because of widespread vaccination but poverty, mental health, hunger and chronic disease (diabetes, asthma) are widespread.”
And since health certainly does not occur in a vacuum, any health issues faced in the home will inevitably present themselves at school as well, meaning that nurses must be ready and trained to deal with far more complex conditions and needs than in previous generations.
Elizabeth Christen, lead nurse for the Santa Barbara Unified School District, described how when she started as a school nurse 20 years ago, head lice and immunizations were the hot topics of in-school care.
Now, with the increasing health complications that many students experience and the accompanying advancements in technology, the expectations placed upon school nurses have grown rapidly.
“When I started, we had about three diabetics in the district,” she told Noozhawk. “Now we would be lucky to have only three at each of the high schools.”
Christen pointed to advances in technology as among the reasons for the transformation.
(J.C. Corliss / Noozhawk photo)
“Technology saves babies who maybe wouldn’t (have survived) 20 years ago,” she explained. “Often times when those kids survive, they have issues such as ADD/ADHD, a seizure disorder, and the list (goes) on.
“Additionally, more medically fragile students are in school, (and) sometimes they need a lot of nursing services, which can include suctioning, tube feedings or maybe needing to be catheterized.”
The increasing prevalence of diabetes in school-age children seems to be at the forefront of student health, as it encompasses far more than just in-school care.
Christen pointed out how “many diabetics are now using an insulin pump to administer their life-saving insulin as opposed to the old-fashioned needle and syringe.”
“The continuing education to keep up with the ever-changing technology just in the area of diabetes is a job in itself,” she said.
With the increasing number of students with diverse health requirements, the demand for qualified school nurses has been rising right alongside that of the national needs.
Perkins noted that the current ratio of nurses to students is around 1-to-1,500, which is double the recommended ratio of 1-to-750.
Christen echoed Perkins’ point.
“In general, the ratios for school nurses statewide are very high,” she said. “SBUSD has been able to increase our staffing in recent years and we now have eight (full-time nurses). That may not sound like a lot but when I was hired we had three.
“The needs have changed so we advocated for increased staffing.”
In addition to the primary nursing staff, Christen noted the district has hired a Health Office staff to “handle the day to day needs at the schools like first aid.”
Bill Banning, superintendent of the Goleta school district, said the organization employs three full-time nurses for its 10 schools, as well as four licensed vocational nurses who support campuses with a higher incidence of medically involved students.
He’s appreciative of those nurses who “make the commitment to the public schools,” calling them “a special and at times under-appreciated group.”
Each year, the Goleta district’s leadership adopts a resolution in recognition of National School Nurse Day, which this year is on May 10.
“By making a public resolution,” Banning said, “the Board of Trustees celebrates and acknowledges the accomplishments of school nurses everywhere, through improving the delivery of health care in our schools, and by contributing to our local communities by helping students stay healthy and ready to learn.”
Despite the ever-shifting health challenges faced by students, one thing is certain: School nurses aren’t going anywhere.
Not only are school nurses becoming more essential to children’s health, but because of their accessibility to students and their families, they have the unique opportunity to affect the health of our community. Those impacts are felt through one-on-one student check-ups or through, as Perkins described, “holding clinics in the schools to provide students and families easy access to both preventative care and support for chronic health problems.”
And with the diverse array of issues we face on a daily basis, it is reassuring to know that there is such a dedicated, qualified team of school nurses looking out for not only the health of our children, but the health of our community as a whole.
Perkins is undaunted by the challenge.
“I feel that this is where I belong,” she said. “I get to use all of my nursing skills on a daily basis.”
— Noozhawk contributing writer Kellie Kreiss can be reached at news@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.