Politics & Government

McCarthy Introducing Bill to Put More Nurses in Schools

Mineola High School nurse weighs in on newly proposed bill to add nurses.

With Wednesday being National Nurse Day and in observation of National Nurses Week, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy is introducing a bill to increase the number of nurses in public schools across the country.

“As a mom and as a nurse, I know that a healthy student is a successful student,” McCarthy said.  “Whether it’s helping to treat the common cold, helping to stop the spread of serious diseases or identifying the early warning signs of depression or abuse, school nurses are the first line of defense in keeping our schools safe.  This legislation is a common-sense investment in our future and Congress would be wise to pass it.”

The Student to School Nurse Ratio Improvement Act of 2013 creates federal grants to help states lower the ratio of students to school nurses and would require the U.S. Education Department to report the effectiveness of the program, particularly the relationship between access to student health services and academic success.

There are almost 100,000 public elementary and secondary schools and about 74,000 school nurses in the United States, according to the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, respectively.

According to the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), more than half of U.S. public schools don’t have a school nurse on site all day, every day.  Up to a quarter don’t have a nurse in the building at all.

Anne McAree, RN, SNT – a school nurse at Mineola High School – said that “School nurses are the health and educational advocates for the student.  The school nurse is often the first one to identify a medical issue that is affecting learning.  The school nurse is the one students turn to for both their physical and safety needs to be met. A school nurse supports the physical, mental and emotional by giving valuable lessons in health care and self care.”

Expanding the placement of nurses in schools is especially important since about 10 percent of children under 19 in the U.S. don’t have health insurance, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and children who don’t receive regular medical care miss more days of school and experience increased severity of illness, according to the NASN.

“This bill before Congress must be passed to allow equal access to health care for all students that will result in an increase in school attendance leading to improved health and educational outcomes,” Nurse McAree said.

Carolyn McCarthy is the representative of New York’s Fourth Congressional District. She was first elected in 1996.


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