‘Critical’ need for school nurses complicates reopening during pandemic, group says

As parents and educators prepare for kids to return to in-person classes, the already uncertain nature of schooling in a pandemic could be complicated further by a shortage of school nurses, according to the National Association of School Nurses (NASN).

A report from the NASN shows about 25% of schools across the U.S. do not employ a school nurse. Only 39% of schools have a full-time nurse and 35% employ a nurse part-time, according to the report.

While those numbers could present problems generally, the issue is exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, says Laurie Combe, president of NASN.

“School nurses will be helping students that they normally see and they’ll be helping students who are presenting in classrooms with potentially symptoms of COVID-19 and mental health,” Combe told KTVK.

The shortage varies regionally, with the West faring the worst as 36% of schools in the region do not employ nurses, NASN reports. Nationally, nearly 82% of public schools employ full- or part-time nurses, but only 34% of private schools can say the same, according to NASN.

“I hope this pandemic really opens eyes to administrators, and at the higher government level, that this is a critical need,” said Kelly Wagner, president of the Ohio Association of School Nurses, according to WBNS. “At the end of the day, the one person people are going to go to regarding COVID-19, illness, wellness, is your school nurse. If you have one.”

The shortage is driven by multiple factors, but funding is a primary concern, WMAZ reported.

“The funding drives everything,” Melanie Bales, president of the Georgia Association of School Nurses, told WMAZ. “The salaries are not comparable to what they would be in other arenas where nurses may work and that becomes a huge challenge.”

The national average salary for a registered nurse who works in a school district ranges from $63,944 to $66,973, the NASN says. But 44% of nurses make between $30,000 and $50,999, according to the report.

The NASN is asking Congress to fund an additional 10,000 school nurses, although that would still leave a shortage of about 20,000 nurses, said Combe, according to WMAZ. The association released a statement from Combe after sending a letter to the Senate calling for $208 billion in funding.

“America’s school nurses, just like America’s teachers, students and parents, want to return to school. Children want to see their friends, teachers want to see their students, and nurses want to reintegrate with their school communities,” the statement says. “However, none of that is possible without robust federal investment, and reliance on accurate public health data.”

This story was originally published August 5, 2020 at 4:15 PM with the headline "‘Critical’ need for school nurses complicates reopening during pandemic, group says."