"We have

to meet the physical needs of a student before we start meeting their

academic, emotional, social and economic needs," said Debbie King,

RN and school health services coordinator for Fayette County Schools.

"Healthier students are more motivated students and that translates

into a higher degree of academic success from which everyone benefits."

A sampling

of the services clinic staff provide include administering first aide

care to students and school staff, managing the prevention and control

of communicable diseases, assisting students with medication administration,

monitoring student health records, educating students and school staff

on health and safety, assisting in the development of individualized healthcare

plans for students with chronic illnesses, coordinating vision, hearing

and scoliosis screening of students and communicating pertinent health

information with parents and school staff.

Alfreda Paschal,

RN, opened Sandy Creek High's clinic two years ago after the school system's

health services program was established. Her day usually begins around

8:30 a.m. with students coming to see her about aches and pains. Two hours

later she administers scheduled medications to students with different

types of illnesses such as diabetes, asthma and other conditions where

doctors have prescribed medications. Each day she administers prescription

medications to about 55 students, each of which has a specific care plan

that has to be developed and updated on a regular basis.

Every student

who enters into the clinic, from those who need scheduled medication to

the ones with a headache or stuffy nose, must be recorded noting the time

they arrived, their complaint, any medications they were given (by parental

consent only) and the time they left. Students also stop by her office

to ask medical questions or talk about problems they are experiencing.

"I am

really starting to develop a rapport with the students," she said.

"Many will come in and talk to me before going to their parents.

I spend a lot of time teaching, counseling and problem solving with our

students."

In between

seeing students, administering medications and doing paperwork for the

clinic, Paschal also finds time to give blood pressure checks to staff

as well as teach some health and health occupational classes at the school.

Of course, there are also the occasional emergencies like broken bones

or cuts that can make a typical day anything but.

"I just

never know what to expect from day to day," she said. "Working

in the clinic is like a cross between working at the health department

and a hospital emergency room."

In fact, many

of Fayette's clinic staff have previously worked in ahospital setting

and have between 10-20 years of experience. Paschal has worked for many

years as a medical/surgical nurse. She decided to change her career path

and looked into the possibility of working at a school clinic. Sandy Creek

was the first place she turned to since her two daughters attend the school.

"I called

the school system to see if there were any openings and it just so happened

that the high school was just opening a clinic and needed someone,"

said Paschal. "I never thought I would be a school nurse but this

has turned out to be a wonderful opportunity for me. My training in the

hospital definitely helped prepare me for this job because you have to

be a quick thinker, problem solver and detailed oriented. You pickup all

of these skills in the hospital."

King says she

sees the future of the school clinics as becoming more involved in providing

education in the community and delivering services that are performed

in a hospital due to the increased number of students who are coming to

school assisted with medical technology such as feeding tubes.

"Families

are using the clinics as a resource to get answers to their health questions,"

said King. "Parents know that healthy kids learn better."