The story of Pitt County North Carolina schools should be a wake-up call for many districts across the country that have relied on Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to boost school nursing services. The content of this blog post is in response to the following article: Expiration of COVID funding could cost schools nursing positions
In Pitt County North Carolina schools, a looming challenge threatens the progress made in ensuring the well-being of their students. Despite a decline in COVID-19 cases, the clock is ticking on the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, which have been instrumental in funding additional nursing positions. As the expiration date of these crucial funds approaches in June 2024, there must be a concerted effort to prioritize and secure sustained funding for school nursing positions.
The impact of ESSER funds has been tangible, with an improvement in the student-to-nurse ratio from 1,200:1 to 950:1. Still an untenable workload! Dedicated nurses have been provided to 13 schools in the district, a significant enhancement from the previous scenario where only three large high schools had such support.
Director of Student Services Karen Harrington rightly stressed the urgency of the situation before the Board of Education. The concern isn’t just about maintaining the current ratios but also the potential elimination of nurse extenders, trained technicians whose invaluable contributions extend the reach of nursing care in large high schools. The impending funding gap could result in tangible setbacks, jeopardizing the health and well-being of their students.
Worth Forbes, a representative on the board, brought attention to the critical role of school nurses in fostering a conducive environment for learning. He emphasized the importance of finding the necessary funds to sustain and potentially expand these positions. Forbes rightly notes that a child’s productivity in school is intricately tied to their health, making the investment in nursing support not just a financial decision but a commitment to the future of their community. Sustaining funding for school nursing positions is not just a financial necessity but a moral imperative. The clock is ticking.
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Wow, timing is everything! Our staffing levels never approached the ones in this article. We have one RN in every school. The dynamics are the same however, just as they are everywhere.
Because of ESSR funds we have a (NEVER SAY EXTRA) PT position nurse coordinator who doubled as fairly accessible sub. It was win/win all over the place. There was a lot of back tracking to be done to try to restore some order post COVID, give the nurses breathing room, help them regroup, heal, move forward and manage the new realities of the school health office detailed in the linked article.
That position expires tonight at 11:59. I am that position. Tadaaah, finito, come midnight, no longer in a contracted position in my school district. I’m not going to scratch the surface of what that really means (there’s a whole lot of good and a whole lot of other)…..going to have to write a whole post on that but it does beg the question, “isn’t there a better way to do this?”