News- Facts You Want To Know
Caution heavy back packs may be hazardous to a child's health
In 2016, the Alabama Legislators passed the Backpack Law. This is a law that schools must alert parents to the potential dangers to children who carry heavy back packs daily. The law is to promote awareness and to suggest rolling back packs as an alternative . Link to Backpack Law
Peanut Allergies and Anaphylaxis
Please don't make your school nurse "Go Nuts"
Peanut and tree nuts are a common food allergy for many children. We have several children at both the High School and the Elementary School that have allergies to peanuts and tree nuts. These allergies can sometimes be severe and life threatening leading to a condition called Anaphylaxis. Please help us keep our children and young people safe at school. Don't send peanuts or peanut products to school with your child. Remind younger children not to share food. If your child has a food allergy teach them to be aware.
Sunbutter is a nutritious alternative to peanut butter made with sunflower seeds and doesn't seem to have the same allergic potential. So you might want to try that, if you want to send a nut butter sandwich to school.
Meningococcal Vaccine for Preteens and Teens
There are two types of meningococcal vaccines for preteens and teens:
- Meningococcal conjugate vaccines (Menactra® or Menveo®)
- Serogroup B meningococcal vaccines (Bexsero® or Trumenba®)
All 11 to 12 year olds should be vaccinated with a meningococcal conjugate vaccine, with a booster dose given at 16 years old. All teens may also be vaccinated with a serogroup B meningococcal vaccine, preferably at 16 through 18 years old.
For more information:
Five ways a School Nurse Benefits the School
Attendance
School nurses improve attendance through health promotion, disease prevention and disease management.
Students with a full-time school nurse have about half the student illness or injury-related early releases from school where no school nurse is present
Academics
School Nurses enable better performance, which also contributes to reducing drop-out rates.
Time
School nurses save time for principals, teachers and staff.
A school nurse in the building saves principals, teachers, and clerical staff a considerable amount of time that they would have spent addressing health concerns of students. A school nurse in the building saves:
Principals almost an hour a day
Teachers almost 20 minutes a day
Clerical staff over 45 minutes a day
Staff Wellness
School nurses improve the general health of staff. According to school reports, principals, teachers, and clerical staff are VERY satisfied with having school nurses in their schools for several reasons:
Teachers can focus on teaching
Office staff spend less time calling parents and sending students home
Healthy staff means increased attendance and productivity
Accountability
Promoting compliance with federal and state law mitigates lawsuits
Advocating for adequate staffing aligns with Healthy People 2020 recommendations of the ratio of one school nurse per 750 well students (1:750)
Preparing for emergencies saves lives and property
Addressing student mental health links to academic achievement
School nurses are instrumental in the identification and referral to community resources for health risks and are often the only health professional who see students on a regular basis.
School Nurse Responsibilities:
Significantly decreasing the amount of days missed due to asthma, the leading cause of school absenteeism, accounting for more than 14 million missed days annually. Managing students with chronic conditions such as diabetes and seizures to allow them to stay in class Identifying and treating accidents and injuries
Counseling students about physical and emotional issues
Healthy Children = Academic Success
*www.nasn.org
References Allen, G. (2003). The impact of elementary school nurses on student attendance. Journal of School Nursing, 10(4), 225- 231. Baisch, M.J., Lundeen, S.P., & Murphy, M.K. (2011). Evidence-based research on the value of school nurse in an urban school system. Journal of School Health, 81(2), 74-80. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2010.00563.x/abstract Engelke, M., Guttu, M., Warren, M., & Swanson, M. (2008). School nurse case management for children with chronic illness: Health, academic, and quality of life outcomes. The Journal of School Nursing, 24(4), 205-214. Fauteux, N. (2011). Unlocking the Potential of School Nursing: Keeping Children Healthy, In School, and Ready to Learn. Charting Nursing’s Future, 14, 1-8. Retrieved from http://www.rwjf.org/files/research/cnf14.pdf Levy, M., Heffner, B, Stewart, T., & Beeman, G. (2006). The efficacy of asthma case management in an urban school district in reducing school absences and hospitalizations for asthma. Journal of School Health, 76(6), 320-324 Puskar, K. & Bernardo, L. (2007). Mental health and academic achievement: Role of school nurses. Journal of Specialis