Decreasing Number of School Nurses in Florida

The nursing shortage affects more countries. The National Association of School Nurses, or NASN, Florida ranks number 44 in the country. Generally, the ratio of nurses to students decreases, the suggested federal standard by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should be1 nurse per 750 students. Vermont has the ratio 1 nurse per 275 students. Because students can tell health concerns to nurses and not to teachers, medical professional like Evan Patak, LPN at Coleman Middle School, is allowed to make a diagnosis to students.

According to NASN, school nurse's role includes assessing a student's health. A teacher can not fill this role adequately because they do not have the medical background.

Budgets were cut last year at Hillsborough's school according to Steve Hegarty. Many schools are forced to reduce the hiring of nurses. They do not have enough fund, they only rely to few sources like local school district budgets and to state budget. Sometimes community gives their contribution. In every high school in Hillsborough, there is a nurse and nurses are deployed in places with high population of high-risk students. LPN's and trained health care professionals are being assigned in other schools.

To prevent swine flu, CDC said that schools must have first line of defense like repeated hand washing and coughing manners. Arne Duncan, Education Secretary, suggested that educators must provide a room for students who show symptoms of swine flu until they are permitted to go home. [via abcactionnews.com]