Creating a Safety Net
Carisa Atkins checks Kuriston White's hearing during an annual routine screening. School nurses not only administer screenings of hundreds of students, but they also create and manage individualized health care plans for students with chronic illnesses.
The memory most have of their school nurse is of them placing a bandage on a scraped knee or sitting in the office with a thermometer in their mouth.
But in today's school system, those thoughts are just that — a memory.
Finke and other school nurses have become the first line of defense in the health of our children from pre-K through high school. They have to assess and handle all health care issues that present themselves throughout the day.
"Having a broad knowledge base is very important trait in school nurses," says Susan Robinson, former coordinator of health services for the Columbia Public School (CPS) district. "But knowing, understanding and using the nursing process is an essential skill school nurses rely on every day; even more so than hospital nurses. Many times in the hospital setting the nursing protocol is already written, but in the school setting there is much more individualization needed."
A niche area under the public-health umbrella, school nursing is population-based care with its focus on a targeted group. However, school nurses also take on a community focus role because they connect students and families to health providers, policy makers and advocacy groups.
"School nurses are in such leadership roles," says Carisa Atkins, the nurse at Oakland Junior High School in Columbia, Mo. "You have to collaborate with everyone. You also have to be an advocate for your students. Sometimes they just need someone to speak for them. There is also the public health part of the job — assessing needs, planning, implementing and evaluating."
Atkins, who monitors the health needs of 750 14- and 15-year-olds, sees health education as one of her major responsibilities.
"I like this age group because they are like sponges," she says. "They come in with questions and they really want to know the answer. If you can teach them, then you feel like you've helped them. Hopefully I am teaching them healthy lifestyle skills that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives."
Teachable moments occur every day for Atkins and other school nurses. And so they touch the lives of everyone in their community on a daily basis.
Big picture concepts are often difficult for task-oriented individuals to understand; however, leaders and decision makers are often those who do see the big picture.
"Working independently of other nurses and health care professionals, yet maintaining communication; making and revising decisions; and then taking responsibility for your actions are crucial components in this field," says Louise Miller, associate teaching professor at the School. "School nursing allows those who like independence and self-direction to flourish."
continued... Mini Clinics