Share your story! Email us by using the "Contact" tab or message us via Facebook or Twitter. Accurate record keeping is a problem. When the school nurse isn't in the school 3-4 days during the week, record keeping is up to the teachers and school secretaries. Accurate and systematic record keeping is not occurring. County Officials NEED to know that the school office is a revolving door of temperature taking, accidents, injuries and more!
How N.C. Parents Advocating for School Health Began
My name is Teri Saurer, and I started N.C. Parents Advocating for School Health.
My youngest daughter, Hannah started having seizures at 9 months old. For those lucky enough to never have experienced a child having a seizure, suffice it say you think your child is dying in your arms while you watch helplessly. She was eventually diagnosed with epilepsy and we were lucky to find medications to keep her seizures under control. Two years later, Hannah was diagnosed with life threatening food allergies as well.
Not only did we need our action plan for seizures, but we now also needed emergency medication and a plan for food allergies struggled to send her to pre-school but eventually found one that had a full time nurse. Hannah went off to pre-school and had 2 great years with no medical issues. I started asking questions at the CMS elementary school she would be attending for kindergarten and found out the Nurse was only there 2 ½ days a week. How could I send her to school without a Nurse every day? What if she accidentally ate the wrong food and her throat closed? What if her seizures returned? My older daughter was already in that CMS school and I started wondering what would happen if she falls off the monkey bars without a Nurse? What if she has a first time allergic reaction to food or a bee sting? This did not seem safe so I decided to see if there was anything I could do about it.
I started N.C. Parents Advocating for School Health in 2012 and have learned that parents really can make a difference and protect their children’s health and safety. I never thought I would be meeting with County Commissioners and the County Manager’s office, participating in task forces with the Health Dept and CMS, speaking to groups, starting letter writing campaigns and too much more to mention, but this cause has truly become my passion. I believe every child in CMS, N.C. and throughout the country deserves a nurse every day. I believe nurses are not just for those with chronic medical issues because accidents and injuries can happen anytime to any student or staff member. I believe we must prioritize the needs of our children. Children should not be safe on Monday because a nurse is there and not on Tuesday because she is at her other school. Children in one part of the country should not be safer than another. I am proud to say that our group helped add 11 more nurses to the budget in 2014 and 2 more Supervisors. We are still working and hoping to continue until we have 1 nurse in every school. My favorite line has become: Funding will always be viewed as an obstacle, but you cannot put a price on the life of a child!.” Parent advocacy works and we need your help.
My youngest daughter, Hannah started having seizures at 9 months old. For those lucky enough to never have experienced a child having a seizure, suffice it say you think your child is dying in your arms while you watch helplessly. She was eventually diagnosed with epilepsy and we were lucky to find medications to keep her seizures under control. Two years later, Hannah was diagnosed with life threatening food allergies as well.
Not only did we need our action plan for seizures, but we now also needed emergency medication and a plan for food allergies struggled to send her to pre-school but eventually found one that had a full time nurse. Hannah went off to pre-school and had 2 great years with no medical issues. I started asking questions at the CMS elementary school she would be attending for kindergarten and found out the Nurse was only there 2 ½ days a week. How could I send her to school without a Nurse every day? What if she accidentally ate the wrong food and her throat closed? What if her seizures returned? My older daughter was already in that CMS school and I started wondering what would happen if she falls off the monkey bars without a Nurse? What if she has a first time allergic reaction to food or a bee sting? This did not seem safe so I decided to see if there was anything I could do about it.
I started N.C. Parents Advocating for School Health in 2012 and have learned that parents really can make a difference and protect their children’s health and safety. I never thought I would be meeting with County Commissioners and the County Manager’s office, participating in task forces with the Health Dept and CMS, speaking to groups, starting letter writing campaigns and too much more to mention, but this cause has truly become my passion. I believe every child in CMS, N.C. and throughout the country deserves a nurse every day. I believe nurses are not just for those with chronic medical issues because accidents and injuries can happen anytime to any student or staff member. I believe we must prioritize the needs of our children. Children should not be safe on Monday because a nurse is there and not on Tuesday because she is at her other school. Children in one part of the country should not be safer than another. I am proud to say that our group helped add 11 more nurses to the budget in 2014 and 2 more Supervisors. We are still working and hoping to continue until we have 1 nurse in every school. My favorite line has become: Funding will always be viewed as an obstacle, but you cannot put a price on the life of a child!.” Parent advocacy works and we need your help.
School Nurses Benefit ALL Children
Healthy Children Need School Nurses
Accidents and Injuries Happen and the Most Qualified Person to Assess and Treat Them is a School Nurse
My name is Natalie Smith. My husband and I are the blessed parents of three happy, healthy CMS students. I am writing to tell you about how our family has been affected by the lack of funding for nurses in our schools. On the morning of February 4th, 2014 I kissed my healthy children good-bye and by the end of the day I was standing in a bright, sterile room holding the hand of one of my seven year-old sons as he struggled to stay awake for a CT scan of his brain. On a day when our school did not have a nurse, he had suffered a concussion in the hallway of his school. Despite the dazed and confused look reported by a teacher immediately following his accident, he was sent back to class. There was a brief period, known in the medical field in the “lucid interval,” between the initial shock of the injury and the time when the real, horrible symptoms began. By the time my husband and I were notified and could reach him, he could not focus, talk clearly or walk. He struggled to stay awake and was crying nonstop from pain. Shortly after, he began throwing up. It is very concerning that there was not a medical professional to evaluate my child. We are beyond grateful that his CT scan was clear and that his injury was not worse. It is unrealistic to expect teachers, school staff and administrators to accurately diagnose illnesses and injuries. These CMS employees are already overworked and underpaid; and most importantly, they are not medical professionals. We need school nurses in every school, every day. Please consider appropriating the necessary funds to end our school nursing crisis.
My name is Natalie Smith. My husband and I are the blessed parents of three happy, healthy CMS students. I am writing to tell you about how our family has been affected by the lack of funding for nurses in our schools. On the morning of February 4th, 2014 I kissed my healthy children good-bye and by the end of the day I was standing in a bright, sterile room holding the hand of one of my seven year-old sons as he struggled to stay awake for a CT scan of his brain. On a day when our school did not have a nurse, he had suffered a concussion in the hallway of his school. Despite the dazed and confused look reported by a teacher immediately following his accident, he was sent back to class. There was a brief period, known in the medical field in the “lucid interval,” between the initial shock of the injury and the time when the real, horrible symptoms began. By the time my husband and I were notified and could reach him, he could not focus, talk clearly or walk. He struggled to stay awake and was crying nonstop from pain. Shortly after, he began throwing up. It is very concerning that there was not a medical professional to evaluate my child. We are beyond grateful that his CT scan was clear and that his injury was not worse. It is unrealistic to expect teachers, school staff and administrators to accurately diagnose illnesses and injuries. These CMS employees are already overworked and underpaid; and most importantly, they are not medical professionals. We need school nurses in every school, every day. Please consider appropriating the necessary funds to end our school nursing crisis.
Mother of Healthy Children; ALL Children Need a Full-Time School Nurse
Hi, my name is Elyse Dashew, and I am the mother of two children attending Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. My 11-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter are both (knock on wood) very healthy. However, when I became aware of our community's shortage in school nurses, I knew this was a serious problem that had to be solved, and I felt compelled to help.
When the health officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issue a warning, we usually pay attention. When they advise us not to drink tap water after a chemical spill, we listen up. When they report that H1N1 flu is on the rise, we line up for vaccinations. The CDC recommends a ratio of at least 1 school nurse for every 750 students. In Mecklenburg County, this public health standard has long been disregarded. Our current ratio is more like 1 school nurse for every 1130 students. My son's school, with nearly 1300 students, has a nurse on duty on 3 days a week at most.
The school nurse plays a pivotal role in keeping our children safe and health. I have many friends whose children have asthma, severe food allergies, epilepsy and diabetes. They rely on a trained professional to administer life-saving medicine every day and especially during emergencies.
My children, thankfully, have dodged these bullets. They've also never had a playground accident leading to a concussion- although this has happened to their peers. I know a child whose school nurse recognized the signs of a concussion and took immediate action. And then there was the child whose head injury occurred on a day there was no nurse at school; the well-meaning but medically untrained staff did their best in the nurse's absence, but the concussion went unnoticed for hours. Yet my son and daughter, along with every one of their fellow students, are impacted by the lack of nurses. Teachers are stressed and distracted, trying to administer medical care when they need to be teaching. Front office staff must keep an eye on the school entrance, per security protocol, but too often they're in the nurse's office taking care of sick children.
In order to meet the CDC guidelines, we need 65 additional school nurses in Mecklenburg County. At the very least, we ought to staff a full-time nurse in every Charlotte-Mecklenburg School; this means 32 more nurses than we have today.
As our county's revenue out look grows brighter, we must find the funds to address this basic need.
Hi, my name is Elyse Dashew, and I am the mother of two children attending Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. My 11-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter are both (knock on wood) very healthy. However, when I became aware of our community's shortage in school nurses, I knew this was a serious problem that had to be solved, and I felt compelled to help.
When the health officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issue a warning, we usually pay attention. When they advise us not to drink tap water after a chemical spill, we listen up. When they report that H1N1 flu is on the rise, we line up for vaccinations. The CDC recommends a ratio of at least 1 school nurse for every 750 students. In Mecklenburg County, this public health standard has long been disregarded. Our current ratio is more like 1 school nurse for every 1130 students. My son's school, with nearly 1300 students, has a nurse on duty on 3 days a week at most.
The school nurse plays a pivotal role in keeping our children safe and health. I have many friends whose children have asthma, severe food allergies, epilepsy and diabetes. They rely on a trained professional to administer life-saving medicine every day and especially during emergencies.
My children, thankfully, have dodged these bullets. They've also never had a playground accident leading to a concussion- although this has happened to their peers. I know a child whose school nurse recognized the signs of a concussion and took immediate action. And then there was the child whose head injury occurred on a day there was no nurse at school; the well-meaning but medically untrained staff did their best in the nurse's absence, but the concussion went unnoticed for hours. Yet my son and daughter, along with every one of their fellow students, are impacted by the lack of nurses. Teachers are stressed and distracted, trying to administer medical care when they need to be teaching. Front office staff must keep an eye on the school entrance, per security protocol, but too often they're in the nurse's office taking care of sick children.
In order to meet the CDC guidelines, we need 65 additional school nurses in Mecklenburg County. At the very least, we ought to staff a full-time nurse in every Charlotte-Mecklenburg School; this means 32 more nurses than we have today.
As our county's revenue out look grows brighter, we must find the funds to address this basic need.
No Special Needs; School Nurses are Important to ALL Children
Hello!
I am wanting to help get more nurses in schools because I'm a nurse myself and have 3 young daughters. Every elementary school should have a full time nurse. None of my children have special needs, but I volunteer a lot in their school by helping in the health room and see how many children do have many needs. Whether it is medicine, breathing treatments, diabetes, epilepsy or mental and physical disabilities, secretaries have to leave their job and help when no nurse is there. I feel strongly that not having a full-time school nurse is a safety issue to all of our children.
Thank You,
Susan
Hello!
I am wanting to help get more nurses in schools because I'm a nurse myself and have 3 young daughters. Every elementary school should have a full time nurse. None of my children have special needs, but I volunteer a lot in their school by helping in the health room and see how many children do have many needs. Whether it is medicine, breathing treatments, diabetes, epilepsy or mental and physical disabilities, secretaries have to leave their job and help when no nurse is there. I feel strongly that not having a full-time school nurse is a safety issue to all of our children.
Thank You,
Susan
Chronic Conditions
Chronic and Life-Threatening Conditions are Statistically RISING
Anaphylaxis Multiple Time and Asthma; Teachers Need Support
Hello!
My name is Carrie Merner and I am a parent of a 1st Grade child in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School (CMS) system and have an upcoming Kindergartner. I'm proud to be an active member of NCPASH that is proactively advocating for at least one full-time nurse in every school.
Admittedly, I have a vested interest in this cause. Both of my boys have Asthma and my youngest has experienced anaphylaxis due to severe food allergies multiple times. At only 5 years-old, he has already had seven (7) anaphylactic, life-threatening, reactions requiring administration of Epinephrine and emergency medical care to save his life. It is not a matter of if, but when his next reaction will be. Our situation is unfortunately not unique. Teachers, parents and students need more support to handle this and other types of medical conditions that can and do occur in a school setting.
My child's own school nurse oversees approximately 725 students while at his school and approximately 1,073 students at another, splitting her time between the two elementaries. In total, the school nurse is responsible for monitoring the health of approximately 1,798 students between both schools! The Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) recommends that there should be one school nurse for every 750 students!
As parents and educators, we know first hand that teachers are asked to do more with less financial support and resources. We should not add medical burdens on to the many responsibilities educators already have. Most teachers do not have the medical training to assess student's medical conditions. School secretaries are often on the front line of caring for students by dispensing medicine, including insulin. There are more children attending school with chronic and often life threatening conditions such as: asthma, epilepsy, severe food allergies and Type I Diabetes. Teachers are caring for kids with serious, often complex medical issues, all the while juggling their regular workload. Even otherwise healthy children benefit from a school nurse who can better medically assess when a student is sick, has a broken bone or requires a medical referral for vision and hearing issues.
This cause is gaining momentum. Having a full-time school nurse in each school should be part of the basic foundation of each school to assist with children's basic safety, health and welfare.
Thank you for your time to provide support by writing/ e-mailing/ calling and/or meeting your County Officials and spreading the word to other parents, teachers and administrators!
Thank You!
Carrie Merner
Hello!
My name is Carrie Merner and I am a parent of a 1st Grade child in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School (CMS) system and have an upcoming Kindergartner. I'm proud to be an active member of NCPASH that is proactively advocating for at least one full-time nurse in every school.
Admittedly, I have a vested interest in this cause. Both of my boys have Asthma and my youngest has experienced anaphylaxis due to severe food allergies multiple times. At only 5 years-old, he has already had seven (7) anaphylactic, life-threatening, reactions requiring administration of Epinephrine and emergency medical care to save his life. It is not a matter of if, but when his next reaction will be. Our situation is unfortunately not unique. Teachers, parents and students need more support to handle this and other types of medical conditions that can and do occur in a school setting.
My child's own school nurse oversees approximately 725 students while at his school and approximately 1,073 students at another, splitting her time between the two elementaries. In total, the school nurse is responsible for monitoring the health of approximately 1,798 students between both schools! The Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) recommends that there should be one school nurse for every 750 students!
As parents and educators, we know first hand that teachers are asked to do more with less financial support and resources. We should not add medical burdens on to the many responsibilities educators already have. Most teachers do not have the medical training to assess student's medical conditions. School secretaries are often on the front line of caring for students by dispensing medicine, including insulin. There are more children attending school with chronic and often life threatening conditions such as: asthma, epilepsy, severe food allergies and Type I Diabetes. Teachers are caring for kids with serious, often complex medical issues, all the while juggling their regular workload. Even otherwise healthy children benefit from a school nurse who can better medically assess when a student is sick, has a broken bone or requires a medical referral for vision and hearing issues.
This cause is gaining momentum. Having a full-time school nurse in each school should be part of the basic foundation of each school to assist with children's basic safety, health and welfare.
Thank you for your time to provide support by writing/ e-mailing/ calling and/or meeting your County Officials and spreading the word to other parents, teachers and administrators!
Thank You!
Carrie Merner
Diabetes, Type I
Concussion and Broken Arm
Hello!
My name is Laurie Briggs and I have four children actively enrolled in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) system at the elementary and middle school levels: Will (age 12 ), Katie (age 10 ) and twins, Jake (age 7) and Madison (age 7). My youngest daughter, Madison, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 2.
Prior to CMS, we lived in Union County, North Carolina, from 2002-2010, where my oldest children, Will and Katie, attended school. While in Union County, N.C., our twins were not old enough to be enrolled in the public school. In 2010, our family moved to Boston, Massachusetts. At the time of moving to Boston, MA, my twins, Jake and Madison, started Kindergarten.
As you can imagine, letting go of Madison on that first day of Kindergarten was absolutely frightening. Managing her Type I Diabetes, even at home, is a complicated and daily process. Fortunately, the Massachusetts elementary school my children attended had approximately 300 students and most importantly, a full-time nurse. It was the first time since Madison's diagnosis that I could actually breathe knowing she was in the hands of a medically trained nurse while not in my care. The School Nurse in MA understood and was medically trained as how to monitor her sugar level and calculate and administer her insulin. The nurse played a critical role as a liaison between us as parents and to the teachers that cared for Madison.
After Madison's 1st year of Kindergarten, we moved to Charlotte, NC. It was not until I registered my children for school that I realized there was no full-time nurse at the school every day. I was told the nurse would be there Mondays, Wednesdays and every other Friday. I was completely horrified. I truly had no idea that when a parent called from the health room with a headache or stomach ache while we lived in Union County, that a nurse was often not present. I assumed the parent volunteer in the health room was actually helping the nurse at the time, not actually having to help children with their health needs without a trained nurse present. Clearly, I was wrong.
I do not want to limit the need for a school nurse to my daughter Madison, or my other children. In fact, my other children have suffered from concussions to broken arms while at school and thankfully they occurred while a nurse was present for each of these incidents. When one of my children had a concussion, the nurse monitored his vitals at consecutive periods of time until it was determined that I needed to get him to a doctor for emergency treatment. Can you imagine a parent or a school secretary having to make that call without medical training? I can't imagine what would have happened to them with these incidents had a nurse not been present. As for Madison's care, this has fallen into the hands of the school secretaries and her classroom teacher. I am in constant, daily, communication with Madison's classroom teacher. Not only does Madison not have daily access to a school nurse, but neither does her teacher for guidance and daily support. I am grateful for the medical assistance Madison's teacher provides to her everyday, on top of her regular classroom duties. Her teacher does not have any formal medical training. Our children have a right to be safe while they are at school.
Concussion and Broken Arm
Hello!
My name is Laurie Briggs and I have four children actively enrolled in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) system at the elementary and middle school levels: Will (age 12 ), Katie (age 10 ) and twins, Jake (age 7) and Madison (age 7). My youngest daughter, Madison, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 2.
Prior to CMS, we lived in Union County, North Carolina, from 2002-2010, where my oldest children, Will and Katie, attended school. While in Union County, N.C., our twins were not old enough to be enrolled in the public school. In 2010, our family moved to Boston, Massachusetts. At the time of moving to Boston, MA, my twins, Jake and Madison, started Kindergarten.
As you can imagine, letting go of Madison on that first day of Kindergarten was absolutely frightening. Managing her Type I Diabetes, even at home, is a complicated and daily process. Fortunately, the Massachusetts elementary school my children attended had approximately 300 students and most importantly, a full-time nurse. It was the first time since Madison's diagnosis that I could actually breathe knowing she was in the hands of a medically trained nurse while not in my care. The School Nurse in MA understood and was medically trained as how to monitor her sugar level and calculate and administer her insulin. The nurse played a critical role as a liaison between us as parents and to the teachers that cared for Madison.
After Madison's 1st year of Kindergarten, we moved to Charlotte, NC. It was not until I registered my children for school that I realized there was no full-time nurse at the school every day. I was told the nurse would be there Mondays, Wednesdays and every other Friday. I was completely horrified. I truly had no idea that when a parent called from the health room with a headache or stomach ache while we lived in Union County, that a nurse was often not present. I assumed the parent volunteer in the health room was actually helping the nurse at the time, not actually having to help children with their health needs without a trained nurse present. Clearly, I was wrong.
I do not want to limit the need for a school nurse to my daughter Madison, or my other children. In fact, my other children have suffered from concussions to broken arms while at school and thankfully they occurred while a nurse was present for each of these incidents. When one of my children had a concussion, the nurse monitored his vitals at consecutive periods of time until it was determined that I needed to get him to a doctor for emergency treatment. Can you imagine a parent or a school secretary having to make that call without medical training? I can't imagine what would have happened to them with these incidents had a nurse not been present. As for Madison's care, this has fallen into the hands of the school secretaries and her classroom teacher. I am in constant, daily, communication with Madison's classroom teacher. Not only does Madison not have daily access to a school nurse, but neither does her teacher for guidance and daily support. I am grateful for the medical assistance Madison's teacher provides to her everyday, on top of her regular classroom duties. Her teacher does not have any formal medical training. Our children have a right to be safe while they are at school.
Seizures and Diabetes, Type I
Hello!
I am a Mom of two medically needy children. My oldest has Type I insulin Dependent diabetes. My youngest has been on seizure medication for seizures since age 3. My daughter with diabetes has needed assistance from the RN at school many times and when she is not at school I get nervous with other school staff because they do not have the training to understand how to take care of the diabetes. These needs are extremely important and it is critical to have at least 1 full time nurse everyday at school who knows about these needs. My hope is that with all of us sharing, that it will make a positive impact.
Thanks,
Bridget
Hello!
I am a Mom of two medically needy children. My oldest has Type I insulin Dependent diabetes. My youngest has been on seizure medication for seizures since age 3. My daughter with diabetes has needed assistance from the RN at school many times and when she is not at school I get nervous with other school staff because they do not have the training to understand how to take care of the diabetes. These needs are extremely important and it is critical to have at least 1 full time nurse everyday at school who knows about these needs. My hope is that with all of us sharing, that it will make a positive impact.
Thanks,
Bridget