- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- moms today articles
- moms today q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Safety First?
Does Your Child's School Have a Nurse?
By Jennifer Lacey
School nursing services are presently governed on a state level. "Every school should have a full-time nurse, but the problem is in the funding, of course," says Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola, N.Y.), currently serving her fourth term representing Long Island, New York's 4th Congressional District, and who worked for 30 years as a nurse. The congresswoman was a key figure in the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which contained specific provisions to fund school nurses.
Currently, there is no legislation pending in our nation's capital that would initiate a national mandate requiring all states to have a full-time nurse in every school. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) health care division is presently spearheading a national campaign to ensure every child in the United States has access to a full-time school nurse.
"This campaign came about after the delegates of the AFT unanimously passed a resolution at its 2002 convention which called for a full-time school nurse in every school in our country, as well as a school nurse for every 750 students," says Joni Tanaciev, assistant director of the health care division of the American Federation of Teachers. She believes this campaign is striving to educate parents, the public and policymakers in our country about "the many facets of today's school nurses. They no longer just tend to bumps and bruises. They take care of critically ill children in addition to children on medications. Our 1.4 million members strongly support having a full-time school nurse in every building and at least one school nurse for every 750 students."
Representatives from the NASN and the AFT believe changes will not happen overnight, especially when dealing with state and federal governments. "There has been legislation that has been introduced several times that would mandate school nurses, especially in New York State, but for various reasons, the legislation has not passed," says Schoessler.
Tanaciev agrees, saying that although legislation is currently being introduced in six states (California, New York, New Mexico, West Virginia, South Carolina and Massachusetts), they have "no illusion that these bills will pass in the current fiscal situation facing most states."