Dear Source:
On MAY 7th, we recognize our school nurses by celebrating National School Nurse Day as a way to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting. The theme this year is, “The School Nurse: Caring for Others, Caring for Ourselves.”
Parents should be able to send their children to school with the peace of mind that they will remain safe, healthy and ready to learn. Given that today’s children face more chronic health illnesses (e.g. asthma, diabetes, food allergies, etc.) than ever before, we take our role as a licensed, professional school nurse very seriously. We are grateful for the teachers, administrators, and professional support staff with whom we work each day-who help to create a healthy learning environment for every child in our schools. Our knowledge, assessment skills and judgment help ensure we can provide quality health care to children.
For many children, we are the only health professional they may have access to, except in emergencies. This becomes even more important as the prevalence of chronic social, emotional, and other health problems keep increasing. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), asthma is the leading chronic illness among children and obesity has more than doubled in our children. Approximately one in every 400 children has Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes which means we School Nurses help develop, implement, and monitor individualized healthcare plans for these students.
Evidence-based research shows that healthier students are better learners, so our elected officials must invest in programs and services that seek to improve the health and well-being outcomes of all children. This is an important election year for the future of our children, and we as voters must carefully consider and vote those individuals into office to insure a bright and healthy future for our children. Children First!
Marie Elise Witmer, RN, BSN — St. Croix
