A third of universities will not have a nurse. This is why that’s a dilemma.

Jodi Bobbitt, the university nurse at William Ramsay Elementary in Alexandria, Virginia, is constantly all set to see kids with a wide selection of accidents and diseases. One particular day throughout the 1st week of school, the parade commenced prior to the first bell when a very little lady walked in with crimson, irritated eyes.

Then it got occupied.

A pupil fell from the monkey bars and one more tripped whilst taking part in tag. Two young ones hit each and every other’s heads with lunchboxes and necessary ice packs. A youthful boy experienced a stomachache. Bobbitt also noticed her standard kiddos: 1 who has specific demands and works by using a wheelchair and yet another who has diabetes and will get his blood sugar checked day by day in advance of lunch.

Nurse Jodi Bobbitt helps a child at school
Nurse Jodi Bobbitt assists a youngster at William Ramsay Elementary in Alexandria, Virginia.

Colleen DeGuzman/KFF Health and fitness News


“Each individual day, I am seeing additional and much more [youngsters],” Bobbitt, who is a licensed nurse practitioner, said with a smile. “I observed much more right now than yesterday, so we just have to wait around and see what the calendar year has in keep.”

As the only university nurse at this suburban Washington, D.C., elementary college, Bobbitt’s responsibilities prolong over and above dealing with scraped knees and sniffles for the school’s 600 pupils. At her under-the-sea-themed clinic, she administers drugs, teaches youngsters about health and fitness treatment, and conducts routine health screenings. As the college nurse, she also serves as a general public health and fitness position individual — monitoring scholar vaccinations, linking dad and mom to nearby health treatment resources, and communicating occasionally tricky messages to them, this kind of as warnings about sexually transmitted ailments and signals of depression.

It is really a total plate, but Bobbitt considers herself lucky. In a past college nursing task, she break up her time amongst two buildings inside the identical university district — some years a few. What has not altered is that college nurses engage in a important job in trying to keep learners wholesome and all set to study, but it’s an often-unrecognized discipline for which universities battle to draw in and keep workers.

bobbitt.jpg
Jodi Bobbitt is the only school nurse at William Ramsay Elementary in Alexandria, Virginia. In a former college nursing work, she split her time concerning two school structures — some decades 3. Now she has only a single campus to care for. 

Eric Harkleroad/KFF Wellness News


Additional than a 3rd of faculties nationwide don’t have a comprehensive-time nurse on-website, according to a 2021 study by the Nationwide Association of School Nurses. The schools that don’t have a dedicated nurse both share one with other campuses, or do not have just one at all. In the meantime, the nation is going through substantial premiums of long-term illnesses among the K-12 pupils, these as diabetic issues and asthma, along with an unprecedented mental well being disaster among the youth, and

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Los Angeles universities announce end of classroom mask mandate | Well being and Physical fitness

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Unified School District — the greatest U.S. college district nonetheless requiring masks for workers and learners — declared Friday that it will lift the mandate as COVID-19 infection charges keep on to plunge.

The nation’s second-biggest faculty district stated it will fall the requirement by up coming Wednesday soon after achieving an arrangement with the teachers union, even though other virus safety measures these kinds of as weekly testing will continue being in place by means of the college 12 months.

LAUSD has additional than 600,000 learners in kindergarten by means of 12th quality. The nation’s premier district, New York Town, ended its mask mandate on March 7, except for classrooms that provide young children more youthful than 5, who are not nevertheless eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations.

United Instructors Los Angeles experienced balked at ending the faculty mask mandate until finally a large vast majority of students and staff experienced been vaccinated. That frustrated some parents who observed the condition, Los Angeles County and lots of neighborhood districts dropping their mandates, and tiny demonstrations have been held in recent weeks at a number of faculties.

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Even so, the county is nevertheless recommending that masks be worn at universities.

“I want to individually thank our college students, personnel and people for their support and persistence,” LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho mentioned in a assertion. “We know some in our university communities and places of work will go on to use masks, although other folks may perhaps not. Be sure to consider your circumstance and do what is best for you or your boy or girl.”

The shift comes as California emerges from a fatal winter COVID-19 surge fueled by the omicron variant. Community health and fitness officials say prevalent vaccinations have aided generate down caseloads and hospitalizations. The state on Friday reported that that daily ordinary of new scenarios over seven times was 6.5 for each 100,000 individuals. That compares with a situation rate of 72.4 situations for every 100,000 in December.

The condition also says 83.6% of the inhabitants has been vaccinated.

On Friday, the California Division of General public Health declared that as of April 1, persons attending indoor concert events, sporting situations and other “mega functions” drawing crowds of 1,000 or much more won’t have to exhibit proof that they have been vaccinated or a short while ago examined damaging for COVID-19.

On the other hand, occasion holders can come to a decision to go on the needs, which health officers stated are strongly proposed.

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