The NURSE Act will recognize the critical role of school nurses and demonstrate that every school should have a school nurse on staff every day. School nurses are the essential bridge between the healthcare and education systems, serving as frontline healthcare providers to ensure that children achieve their academic potential. They act as public health sentinels, not only for schools but also for their communities.
For under-resourced communities, the school nurse may be the only healthcare provider a child sees. Today’s students face more medically complex conditions and chronic health illnesses – including asthma, diabetes, food allergies, obesity, and mental health and behavioral issues – which require the knowledge, assessment skills, and judgment of a school nurse to provide management of these lifelong conditions.