School Nurses are Often Unsung Heroes

School nurses do much more than apply bandages to playground scrapes. School nurses conduct vital health screenings and are often the security blanket for students who need special care during school hours. Despite all they do, school nurses are often the unsung heroes within the school community. School nurses certainly tackle their share of fevers, nosebleeds, cuts, and scrapes, but nurses play other pivotal roles as well, calling up moms and dads to pick up their sick sons and daughters, overseeing the school’s health policies and helping to ensure a safe school environment for students. In addition, the role of the school nurse has changed dramatically over the years. A school nurse may oversee vaccination schedules. He or she also may arrange for assemblies regarding “change of life” seminars for children about to enter puberty. When there is an epidemic at the school, the nurse is often charged with notifying staff and parents and helping to contain the situation.

Apart from all of the tasks in treating “sick” children, nurses also are essential in helping to keep children with life-threatening diseases healthy while they are at school. The number of children with serious allergies, diabetes, asthma, and even seizure disorders has increased. According to the American Diabetes Association, roughly 1 in every 400 children and adolescents has diabetes. School nurses may help administer life-saving insulin shots to children who need them. According to Anaphylaxis Canada, 1 in 50 Canadian children has a peanut allergy, and about 1 to 2 percent of these can have severe or life-threatening reactions. School nurses may treat serious allergic reactions or provide a safe place where children with serious allergies can eat lunch.

In some cases, school nurses become a mediator between home and school. Nurses may indirectly be teaching students as well. Each time the nurse treats a condition, he or she may be educating students on how to avoid that situation in the future. For example, a nurse may impart the importance of eating breakfast to avoid a morning headache or teach youngsters about the bene ts of stretching before diving into physical education class.

School nurses are often the unsung heroes of a school, wiping away tears when youngsters suffer an injury at school and acting as a reassuring voice when such injuries are painful.