School Nurse Roles in Covid-19

School Nurses will have a bigger role to play in school than usual.

We hear some of the procedures and obstacles they plan to overcome.

The role of school nurses will be vital this year as some students head back to the classroom during the pandemic.

Normally, nurses treat injuries and illnesses...now they're dealing with covid-19 symptoms. our stephanie poole explains how they plan to handle any possible cases .

She joins us in the studio with more.

That's right joey, checking for symptoms, isolating infected students, and monitoring classes are just the few obstacles they're facing.

éé with only a few weeks until the start of classes,nurses are preparing guidelines for teachers and parents.

éé school nurses will be critical in the back-to-school planning period.

" we've got scheduled to go across the county and talk to all our teachers and talk to them bout finding symptoms of covid.

When they need to send students to us."

Mashella crowley is the head nurse for lamar county school district.

She, along with four other nurses, have developed a plan to ensure health and wellness on school grounds.

" before school gets started, we want to try to educate the kids on good hand washing, about wearing your mask, and staying six feet apart.

Those are some of the preventive things we are trying to work on."

But often times, those tips are overlooked.

If symptoms are displayed,she's asking teachers to send students based on low to high severity.

" we're having to divide our rooms up and do isolation areas where we got a well side and we got a sick side.

If a child comes in with 102 fever, we're going to put them on the sick side and let them stay in a screen divided area where nobody knows who they are until a parent comes and picks them up."

It's suggested sick students stay off campus until they're clear of symptoms. " right now, we've got the best possible plan out there.

Is it bulletproof?

No.

None of them are.

We don't know how many different scenarios to this thing that we could face once we get back into school.

In the meantime, we are confident in our plan and we know we're going to face difficulties.

We're doing that now."

Superintendent of lamar county school district, vance herron says this plan isn't concrete, but it's the safest way for students return.

" everybody is a little apprehensive and everybody is a little worried with good reason.

But in the meantime, we are going to be okay and we're going to make it through these trying times."

Butt sots " the district has done good about making sure our kids are safe and having a nurse in each school.

" all faculty and staff members are having mandatory covid-19 training leading up to the start of school.

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