State School Nurse to Student Ratio

State School Nurse To Student Ratio

Due to mainstreaming students with severe physical or chronic conditions into public schools, school nurse duties and responsibilities have grown exponentially during the past two decades, and the ability of the school nurse to care for and monitor students is greatly affected.
School nurses are perhaps the first and only consistent source of health services for millions of uninsured and underinsured children.
School nurses dispense medication, including injections; monitor blood glucose levels; monitor for diseases and abuse; conduct health screenings, assessments and referrals; and care for students with complex medical needs.
Recent surveys report that nurses are overwhelmed and unable to keep up with the demands of everyone in need. This is especially true in schools or school districts where the ratio of school nurse to students is exponentially large--one nurse per 1,500 or more students.
Twelve state legislatures have statutory guidelines that there be at least one school nurse available per school or school district. Although these positions are required by law, funding is limited to accommodate nursing services.

Sources: National Associations of School Nurses; American Federation of Teachers; Washington Post "Condition Serious for School Nurse Staffs," January 21, 2002; Education World "Today's School Nurse: More Than Just a Person Who Bandages Knees," January 2002.

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