School nurses conduct coronavirus contact tracing in Norwalk By Erin Kayata
NORWALK — JoAnn Malinowski has done a lot of different types of nursing in her 44 years in the field: She’s worked in the intensive care unit of a hospital, in public health and with insurance companies. But in 1992, she started as a school nurse in Norwalk Public Schools and fell in love.
But these days, Malinowski, now the coordinator of health services for the city’s public schools, is getting to flex a whole new nursing muscle. With school buildings closed for the rest of the year, the day-to-day for Malinowski and her staff looks a lot different than it did a few months ago. While their routine once involved seeing 60 to 70 students, they’re now filled with Zoom meetings as they try to stay connected to each other and student medical needs now that everyone is at home.
Most nurses in the Norwalk school district have advanced degrees and extensive health backgrounds. Because of their qualifications, 13 school nurses are helping the Norwalk Health Department conduct contact tracing and other tasks needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. These nurses are interviewing patients, tracing their contacts and referring people to community resources as they deal with illness, said Norwalk Health Department Supervisor of Clinical Services Darleen Hoffler.
“The school nurses from NPS have been a huge help in our COVID-19 response efforts. They reached out early and often to offer their help, and have been eager to help in any way they can, with mailings, translations, and of course, contact tracing,” Hoffler said. “The nurses have been working with cases and contacts throughout Norwalk, but they have a special connection and relationship to NPS families, which has been invaluable. They are trusted helpers for these families and can help us reach them faster and better understand their needs.”
All 22 of Norwalk Public Schools nurses are continuing to work from home
and assist families. Prior to school buildings shutting down, their duties included dealing with not only first aid in the schools, but any sort of special medical accommodation plans for students. This includes after-school safety plans and assisting students learning from home prior to the crisis, Malinowski said.
The nurses are able to continue this work from home with the use of SNAP, a software program that allows remote access to student medical records. Through Google Classroom, the nurses are able to reach out to families to help ensure student’s medical needs are being met. They’re also helping check in with families if a student is absent from distance learning and helping them access resources on how to stay safe during the pandemic and if someone
in the house falls ill. Many are also offering mental health resources and referrals and offering families guidance.
The nurses are also planning for what things might look like when school buildings reopen. Schools are still waiting for guidelines from the state on potential COVID-19 management plans. Malinowski said students may be coming into the building in staggered groups and they’ll have to identify ways to keep students safe while in the classroom.
“It’s definitely going to be a change,” she said. “We’re waiting on the state. The one thing I can say from this whole pandemic is people have learned so much more about hygiene and respecting other people’s space. I think that’s so important moving forward.”