School nurses are an important part of the total educational program in Fayette County Public Schools. The school system is fortunate to have a school nurse at all 29 of its schools.
In recognition of the contributions school nurses make to students, school staffs and parents everyday, the school system has signed a proclamation identifying May 12 as National School Nurses Day in Fayette. This school year also marks the 10-year anniversary of school nurses in Georgia and Fayette County.
Fayette’s nurses focus on prevention by annually coordinating vision, hearing and scoliosis screenings, reviewing student immunization and eye, ear and dental certifications, and managing the prevention and control of communicable diseases at schools. Daily, school nurses provide first aid care, assist students with medications, and develop and implement healthcare plans. They promote health and connect students and their families to community resources.
“We have to meet the physical needs of a student before we start meeting their academic, emotional, social and economic needs. The school nurses support student success,” says Debbie King, RN, student health services coordinator.
From August to April of this school year, Fayette’s school nurses have cared for 119,765 students, administered 25,094 medications and performed 15,626 special procedures such as catheterization, tube feedings, nebulizer treatments and blood sugar checks.
In addition to daily services, the School Health Services Program has developed a School Health Services Manual to standardize guidelines, forms and parent notification letters, assisted in placing Automated External Defibrillators (AED) at every school and county office building, adopted the American Heart Association CPR training curriculum and required mandatory CPR certification for all coaches, as well as hosted the first staff influenza vaccination clinics in 2006 and the first student influenza vaccine clinics this year with the health department.
The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) established National School Nurses Day in 1972 to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting. This year’s theme is “Vision, Voice, Visibility: Charting the Course for a Healthy Future.” For more information on National School Nurse Day, visit the NASN Web site at www.nasn.org .
