Text Version of 5 School Nursing Facts

References

Willgerodt, M. A., Brock, D. M., & Maughan, E. M. (2018). Public school nursing practice in the United States. Journal of School Nursing, 34(3), 232-244.

Buswell, S. A., Lechtenberg, J., Hinkson, E., Cowan, T., Combe, L. G., Fekaris, N., & Chau, E. (June 2016). The role of the 21st century school nurse. Retrieved from https://www.nasn.org/advocacy/professional-practice-documents/position-statements/ps-role

Beginning

Lina Rogers was the first school nurse. She was hired on October 1, 1902 in New York City to reduce absenteeism by educating students and families about health care regarding communicable disease.

What They Do

  • Specialized practice
  • Provide direct care, assessment, intervention and follow-up
  • Coordinate health services team
  • Reduce chronic absenteeism
  • Health education
  • Implement best health policies and practices
  • And more

Social Determinants

School nurses address disparities everyday:

  • Employment
  • Access to health insurance
  • Environmental health
  • Income
  • Housing
  • Transportation

Did you know social determinants cause 80% of health concerns?

Stats

There are 95,776 full-time school nurses in the U.S. They take care of 55.9 million K-12 public and private school students. That equals 583.65 students per nurse.

Sad Truth

25.2% of schools do not employ a nurse.