National School Nurse Day

May 8, 2024

Take time to show your appreciation to the dedicated nurses in your schools on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. 

If you think school nursing is all about flu shots, Band-Aids, and record-keeping, you haven't been inside a school lately. 

School health professionals juggle a complex array of medical and social issues, seeing thousands of students, and often moving from school to school throughout the district. 

A typical schedule can encompass immunizations, health care screenings, hearing, and vision testing; treating accidents, diseases such as diabetes and asthma, student obesity, special needs like tube-feeding, preventing the spread of disease through blood exposure; and the fallout from mental, emotional, and social problems, including arranging for disadvantaged students to receive breakfast and clothing, and even helping students cope who are homeless or whose parents are incarcerated. 

For some students, the school nurse is the only healthcare professional they ever see. 

Nor is a nurse’s work confined to the nurse's office—he or she must also interact with other professionals such as teachers, doctors, child study teams, administrators, school counselors, coaches, parents, police officers, drug and substance abuse professionals, social workers, and other Education Support Professionals. 

Visit the National Association of School Nurses website for more information.