If you’re seeing this, something has gone wrong
Times School Nurses Are Not EnoughThere is no better time than now to bump up the health resources for children in schools, experts say.
School children have had an especially challenging time navigating the tedious months of the pandemic, with recent reports showing that students fell four to seven months behind in math and reading compared to previous years, and with the most vulnerable students showing the steepest declines.
But while schools have typically tried to improve student achievement by focusing on academic testing and additional classes, they’ve too often neglected a major factor in their success: physical, mental and social health. This is especially true for children living in economically disadvantaged communities, who unlike their peers in wealthier communities often lack access to quality health care and resources.
There are many reasons such children often struggle to do well in school, but education specialists say there is no better time than now to devote more resources to their often-limited access to needed health services. Just as shouting doesn’t enable a deaf person to hear or better lighting a blind person to see, feeding facts and figures to youngsters with untreated health problems is unlikely to help them learn.
Charles E. Basch, a professor of health and education at Columbia University’s Teachers College, wrote in a special issue of the Journal of School Health in 2011: “Healthier students are better learners,” a fact he called “a missing link in school reforms to close the achievement gap.” In the report, he said that schools trying to enhance academic achievement should target their efforts on reducing health disparities that might impair a student’s education.
“The health needs of children have not been considered a central mission of schools,” Dr. Basch told me. “Yet there’s a clear connection between mental and physical health and the ability of children to learn.” And by not adequately addressing such needs, he said, “society is losing talent.”
Bringing health care to schools
Enter school-based health centers — facilities either in the school itself or nearby that not only tend to acute health issues like cuts and bruises, but also provide a suite of health services including primary, mental and dental care; substance abuse counseling; nutrition education and more. “They bring health care to where the children are, and they’re a very good way to provide health care to children who might not otherwise get it,” said Nicholas Freudenberg, a professor of public health at the City University of New York School of Public Health.
School-based health centers are a cardinal feature of community schools and other public schools that have increasingly recognized how difficult it is for many children to get their health problems adequately detected and treated. Such challenges may be especially acute for those living in low-income urban centers or rural areas. If a parent has to take time off from work or find a babysitter, or if transportation is unavailable or unaffordable to get a child to a medical visit, needed services are too often neglected until there’s a crisis, experts have said.
The nonprofit Paramount Health Data Project, which recently published a report on students’ health conditions in public and private schools in Indiana, found that the more often children visited the school nurse, the poorer their academic achievement on statewide tests, Azure Angelov, the project’s director, told me. The project’s data suggest “that students who are frequent visitors to the school nurse are simply unhealthy and frequently do not feel well during the school day,” Dr. Angelov and colleagues wrote in the report. “This is impacting their ability to learn.”
Although the majority of public schools have at least one full-time or part-time nurse, that’s hardly adequate to care for kids who often have complex and interrelated health problems that can get in the way of learning. For example, a child with poorly controlled asthma may avoid exercise and have trouble sleeping, which is when the brain consolidates memory. In addition to medication and routine follow-up, that child may need dietary and exercise advice and assistance in clearing allergens from the home.
Array ( [external_url] => )
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Tiffany
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Tiffany is a recent PN grad. She shares her story, "Working as a phlebotomist at a plasma…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Heartwarming Stories of Nurses Who Went Beyond Their Call of Duty
Article and Image Content shared from Readers Digest. When it comes to kindness, compassion, and caring for others, nurses have us all beat. They work…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Heartwarming Stories of Nurses Who Went Beyond Their Call of Duty
Article and Image Content shared from Readers Digest. When it comes to kindness, compassion, and caring for others, nurses have us all beat. They work…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Heartwarming Stories of Nurses Who Went Beyond Their Call of Duty
Article and Image Content shared from Readers Digest. Image credit: COURTESY MARK SHIPMAN When it comes to kindness, compassion, and caring for others, nurses have…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Heartwarming Stories of Nurses Who Went Beyond Their Call of Duty
Article and Image Content shared from Readers Digest. When it comes to kindness, compassion, and caring for others, nurses have us all beat. They work…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Heartwarming Stories of Nurses Who Went Above and Beyond Their Call of Duty
Article and Image Content shared from Readers Digest. When it comes to kindness, compassion, and caring for others, nurses have us all beat. They work…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Personal Finance – Here’s How Much Money Phlebotomists Make In Every State In 2022
Phlebotomists perform an invaluable role in the medical world and beyond. They draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, and research, not to mention explaining to…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Sumner College Blood Drive
Last week Sumner College held a blood drive. Here are some photos from the day.…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Sharon
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Sharon is a recent Medical Assisting grad. She shares her story, "Before enrolling in Sumner College’s…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Patrick
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Patrick is a recent LPN grad. He shares his story, "Prior to enrolling at Sumner College,…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
ALL IN: Johnson&Johnson WellBeing for Healthcare Campaign
ALL IN: WellBeing First for Healthcare is a call to action by #FirstRespondersFirst and The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation as a coalition of leading…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Lyric
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Lyric is a recent LPN grad. She shares her story, "Prior to attending Sumner College, I…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
#Hiring a Clinical Coordinator – Nursing Programs
JOB DESCRIPTION Position: Clinical Coordinator for Nursing Programs Supervisor: College President Job Description of Clinical Coordinator: The Clinical Coordinator is responsible for acquiring and maintaining clinical sites…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Sunday, May 7th is Mother’s Day
Happy Mother's Day from Sumner College!…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Kaitlyn
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Kaitlyn is a recent LPN grad. She shares her story, "Wanting to expand my skills as…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Julie
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Julie is a recent RN grad. She shares her story, "Prior to enrolling in Sumner College’s…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Now Hiring! Nurse Educator Associate Labs & Clinicals
Job Summary: The Nurse Educator Associate will teach, guide students in their labs and clinicals, along with enhancing the design of the curriculum. This person…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Hannah
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Hannah is a recent LPN grad. She shares her story, "Before I started the Practical Nursing…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Derek
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Derek is a recent Medical Assisting grad. He shares his story, "Before enrolling at Sumner College,…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
5 Careers You Can Start with Short-Term Training
Content Shared from CareerOneStop.org Phlebotomist What Phlebotomists Do: Phlebotomists draw blood for tests, transfusions, research, or blood donations. Work Environment: Phlebotomists work mainly in hospitals, medical and…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Options After High School
Article shared from CareerOneStop.org. Wondering about what your options are once you complete high school – besides a 4-year degree? School counselors want students and…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
The Pulse | Spring 2022 Newsletter
Newsletter Spring 2022…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Sumner College ABHES and CCNE Accreditations
Sumner College is proud to be accredited with ABHES and the CCNE. Why is this important to you as a student? Because it gives you…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Sumner College | A Niche Partner School
Sumner College is a proud partner with online college search engine, Niche. Visit our Oregon Campus or our Arizona Campus.…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
#Hiring Administrative Assistant, Nursing Program
Sumner College is hiring an Administrative Assistant for the Nursing Program. Submit your qualifications and resume to employment@sumnercollege.edu Position: Administrative Assistant, Nursing Program Supervisor: Senior…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Crystal
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Crystal is a recent LPN grad. She shares her story, "Before enrolling in Sumner’s Practical Nursing…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Amber
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Amber is a recent LPN grad. She shares her story, "Before enrolling in Sumner College’s Practical…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
National Nurses Week – May 6-12, 2022
From assisting with life-threatening ER crises to delivering babies and caring for the elderly in their last moments, nurses perform some of the most difficult…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Working as a Phlebotomist – What to expect
According to WebMD, Phlebotomy is when someone uses a needle to take blood from a vein, usually in your arm. Also called a blood draw or…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Crushing Male Nurses Stigmas and Stereotypes
Men become Nurses for the same reason women do, to take care of people. And even though Male Nurses are becoming more common, they still…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn