We’ve all read about teachers taking on non-teaching duties such as cleaning their classrooms or mowing the grass on the playground just to get these things done. But I just read an article about teachers playing school nurse that has me shaking my head in disbelief.
For the last two years Julia Keyse, a kindergarten/first-grade teacher in North Carolina with no medical training or experience, has handled one of her student’s daily medical tests. This involves pricking the child’s finger for a drop of blood, testing the blood with a glucose meter, and adjusting the student’s insulin pump. Ms. Keyse does this because the school where she works has no school nurse.
Schools across the country are either requiring their nurses to work at multiple locations or are eliminating the position of school nurse altogether. No doubt school districts are facing very tough decisions over allocation of resources. And no doubt the school nurse is a casualty of shrinking school budgets.
However, more children than ever have severe allergies, asthma, and diabetes and require medical oversight at school. Sure, teachers need to be aware of the symptoms associated with conditions such as these. But I just can’t accept asking teachers to take primary responsibility for potentially life-saving medical care.
Hello Bob,
I really like your readinga-z materials and using them to homeschool my children. Those books and lessons are a great help since my mother tongue is not English.
Thank you for producing such great materials!