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School
Nurses
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Increase
the number of school health nurses.
Target:
One school nurse for every 750 students.
Baseline, 1999-2000 School Year: 3 Local Education
Agencies (school systems) have 1 nurse to 750 students.
Target Setting Method: Better than the best.
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Access to Care
- School Nurses
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More than 95 percent of all youth ages 5
to 17 are enrolled in school. Children spend more time in school than
they do any place else other than their home. Because healthy children
learn better than children with health problems, schools have an interest
in addressing the health needs of students. For many children in North
Carolina, the first and only health care provider they see is the
school nurse. A school nurse can identify and respond to untreated
illnesses, assure that children have access to required immunizations,
provide case management for children with special health problems,
and serve as a professional link with physicians and community resources.
North Carolina currently has a statewide
school nurse to student ratio of 1:2198. The National Association
of School Nurses, the American Nurses’ Association, the American
Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
and the American School Health Association recommend a ratio of
school nurses to students of 1:750. During the 1999-2000 school
year, three Local Education Agencies (school systems) in North Carolina
currently have the nationally recommended ratio: Kannapolis City
Schools, Camden County, and Hyde County. Nine counties have either
no school nurse or a nurse working "on call only" or less
than half time.
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Disparities
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In 2000, only seven North Carolina counties
(including two city school systems) have school nurse to student ratios
better than 1: 999 (Kannapolis City Schools in Cabarrus County, Mt.
Airy Schools in Surry County, Camden, Currituck, Dare, Davie, Graham,
Hyde and Tyrrell). Wealth, racial and ethnic composition, and regional
location do not seem to be factors in the nurse to student ratio. |
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Determinants/Risk
factors
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Lack of resources |
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| Access
to Care - School Nurses |
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