Staffing for School Nurses

By Barbara Pierce

“School nursing is one of many areas that schools have struggled to maintain a workforce in since the pandemic,” said Peter Blake, superintendent of schools, Rome City School District. “Schools can’t be open without a nurse on site. So it’s a crucial position to have filled every day.”

School nursing is a complex and challenging specialty practice area that is not always understood. Students going back to school will have a variety of mental and physical health needs — school nurses are on the front line to address these needs.

“People think we just sit in our office and put a Band Aid or an ice pack on kids from time to time,” said registered nurse Sharon Bognaski, school nurse at Otto Shortell Middle

School in the Oneida City School District.

“You’re not a ‘real’ nurse, they think,” she added “But we take care of complex medical problems every day. Kids have gotten sicker over the years.”

With nearly 20% of students entering school with a chronic health condition, such as asthma, life-threatening allergies, diabetes, and seizure disorders (according to the U.S. Health Resources–Services Administration), school nurses provide direct care, checking blood glucose, administering medication, providing treatments to students with these needs.

As another 20% of students suffer from anxiety, stress, depression, bullying, or similar concerns, (U.S. Department of Health/Human