Written by Joy Sunday, Health Services Coordinator
Valparaiso Community Schools are fortunate to employ an experienced and dedicated team of school nurses.
Our nurses play diverse roles as they serve the needs of students, faculty and support staff. The complex needs of the school population present myriad challenges for today's school nurse. While the stereotypical school nurse duty of giving Band-Aids remains a common daily task, their responsibilities have expanded in variety, degree of complexity and sheer volume.
A phone call to the school nurse is a common first step parents take as they gather information that will help tap school and community resources. Chronic conditions such as diabetes, life-threatening allergies and asthma are increasing in prevalence. These situations require daily monitoring and quick action if balance is disturbed. In addition, each Valparaiso schools is home to students with disabilities and serious health problems. Each student is given special attention in his or her developed individual health care plan.
School nursing not only addresses physical complaints, but also many behavior and learning problems. Emotional issues including bullying, attention deficit, low self-esteem, weight and even self-destructive behaviors are handled at the elementary, middle and high schools. School nurses see the unfortunate reality of health issues resulting from situations of homelessness, divorce, immigration, physical/psychological abuse and violence.
Every school year, the nurses work in teams to ensure immunization compliance and complete vision and hearing screenings. These vital screenings help to ensure students can perform to the best of their physical and academic ability.
School nurses are a link between community health providers. They are the bridge between physicians and through parent/student conferences are able to ensure the implementation of physician's order into the school environment. School nurses have had the opportunity to teach, mentor and supervise nursing students form Valparaiso University and Indiana University Northwest. It is especially rewarding to help the next generation of nurses understand how school nurses complete the circle of the coordination of care for students with chronic conditions. The Porter County Health Department has also benefited from the Valparaiso Community School spirit. Many families have taken advantage of this joint relationship when they participated in the recent H1N1 vaccination program and the upcoming immunization clinics for our fifth-grade students.
Valparaiso Community Schools nurses prefer to take a positive wellness approach in educating and treating students and staff. Our common goal is to keep all children and staff healthy, in school, and ready to learn and work.