Help beyond the classroom

The second Wednesday of May – May 10 – will be National School Nurses’ Day. On this special day, the United States honors the school nurses who devote their lives to ensuring students’ health during school hours.

When it comes to student health and the overall wellness of the school community, no one does more than school nurses. Children and families have a variety of roles in healthcare, and frontline workers play crucial ones, but in educational institutions, school nurses are the primary point person for student health. When a student breaks a bone, feels sick, passes out, is in a bad accident or simply needs a daily dose of prescription medicine, it is the role of the school nurse to make sure that the treatment is taken care of, either by contacting the local authorities or working with the school staff to make the situation right.

School nurses always keep their calm in these types of situations. Not only do they care for the immediate health needs of the students, but they do so much more. They provide screenings on hearing and vision, they instruct students on how to deal with long term health issues, they provide information on nutrition and exercise, and assist in maintaining students’ positive mental attitudes.

They also collaborate with parents, educators, and other medical experts to give students the help that they truly need.

On this National School Nurse Day let’s show our appreciation to the school nurses who always make sure our kids are healthy and safe.