Since we created this blog, specifically since February 8, 2011, no progression has been noted and the bill remains in the House of Representatives, left in education. Although a progression as not be stated, we are currently continuing to research and gather information supporting our stance of this bill.
A blog from the Wall Street Journal, “The Juggle”, talks about the issue of having a qualified nurse at the school to take care of the children. This blog raises the question of whether or not all schools have a licensed school nurse. In some cases, the school secretary or an unlicensed volunteer play the role of a school nurse, rather than a licensed RN to tend to the children’s needs. If unlicensed personnel care for these children and a situation that they were uneducated about or an emergency was to occur, the proper care and safest care may not be provided. This blog also discussed that only 13 states have the appropriate student to nurse ratio that is recommended by the government.
The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) in 2007 commissioned a study on school nursing and student health. They investigated where school nursing services are located in the United States and where they are needed. Telephone interviews were conducted in 1055 schools that were randomly selected from 92,816 schools in 50 states. Of the schools interviewed, the average nurse to student ratio was 1:1151. Only 44.84% of schools have a full-time RN, which means that 55.17% of schools do not have a full time RN.
This leads into another question; what about the school children with chronic conditions? There have been vast changes in medicine in the past decade, one of which is that children with chronic conditions are able to go to public school. These “chronic conditions” include asthma, diabetes, and seizure disorders. While great strides have been made to help manage these conditions and help children live more normal lives, these children still need a continuous plan of care that involve medication and lifestyle changes, requiring critical nursing skills and teaching techniques that licensed personnel are trained in providing. Not having a trained nurse with skills to care for these student populations should be an issue of great concern because of the impact one episode or crisis could have on the health of these children without the proper care and immediate attention.
We are writing emails to key stakeholders. We contacted, via email, both Delegate Lionell Spruill Sr. and Delegate Rosalyn Dance inviting them to view our blog because they are the sponsor and co-sponsor of the bill we are supporting. We also emailed Senator Mark Warner and Senator Jim Webb, who are Senators of Virginia and are involved in bill approvals in Virginia, inviting them to read our blog. We have informed Delegate Lionell Spruill Sr., Delegate Rosalyn Dance, Senator Mark Warner, and Senator Jim Webb, of the blog significance to nurses as well as healthcare, because of their role in policy and decision-making about healthcare.
References:
National Association of School Nurses. (2011). Press Room. Retrieved from: School nursing services in the U.S.: Where are we? Where do we need to go? at http://www.nasn.org/AboutNASN/PressRoom
The Wall Street Journal. The Juggle. (2011). And Now a Call From the School Nurse, Um, Secretary. Retrieved from: http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2011/10/12/and-now-a-call-from-the-school-nurse-um-secretary/
It is disappointing to see that no progression on this bill has been made since February 8th because our group agrees that this would be a key piece of legislation. The improvements made with this bill would not only increase the acuity of care that could be provided to the children who may require it, but we also believe that it could reduce the stress some school nurses may feel being responsible for so many children. You all have made great points about the level of care children may need both long-term or in emergency situations, but what about how the nurses feel. They must feel a huge responsibility to try and take care of so many children and then what do they do if there is an emergency situation that they are needed for and are not able to make it in time. We are interested to hear the responses you all get from contacting these key legislators.
ReplyDeleteWe were surprised to realize that we had yet to comment on this blog, as the topic and bill is the same one we are advocating. All of our points seem to correlate with one another, especially the emphasis on quality care for children with chronic conditions who need licensed professionals to ensure stable health. Regarding policy change, the nurse leader content has emphasized coming together with individuals who support the same cause may have a larger impact on policy makers. Maybe there is a way both of our groups can combine to write a letter to one of the stakeholders? Or make a social media page (i.e. Facebook) advocating the need for change and educating our peers about the issue at hand.
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