APS Salutes Nurses During National Nurses Week

By: Erica Fatima

National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. APS believes that nurses are vital to the success of its schools; nurses help heal and perpetuate a culture of caring.

School nurses and health professionals juggle a complex array of medical and social issues, seeing thousands of students, and often moving from school to school throughout the district. A typical schedule can encompass immunizations, health care screenings, hearing and vision testing; dealing with home accidents, diseases such as diabetes and asthma, student obesity, and even helping students cope who are homeless or whose parents are incarcerated.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, noted that schools should have one nurse for every 750 students. The reality is a far cry from the recommendation; about 59% of schools have a higher ratio of students to available nurses. According to the National Education Association, about 50,000 school nurses are employed in America, but we need more.

School nurses are heroes walking among us. And for some students, the school nurse is the only health care professional they ever see.

So join us in saluting our school nurses and health professionals. If you would like to honor a nurse at the national level select this link: American Nurses Foundation Supports Nurses During National Nurses Week 2016 http://anfonline.org/Main/HonoraNurse

Or, participate in the “Safe Nurses Rock” National Nurses Week Social Media Contest. Flood your Twitter and Instagram timelines with pictures, videos and quotes using the hashtag #SafeNursesRock. Let the world know exactly how you and your colleagues embody safe practices every day.

Have a funny group picture of your team? Share it on Twitter, or create a funny video of your team participating in taking steps to remain safe in the workplace.

Ten randomly selected users will be chosen at the end of National Nurses Week. The more you post the greater your chance of winning. Click the link for more information: SafeNursesRock