School nurses continue to be in short supply

Nationally, school districts are having a harder time putting nurses in every building. The aim of school nursing is to manage students’ health needs so they can be ready to learn, but changes in education policy and scientific advances mean more children with health needs are coming to school. “While that is our goal and it’s better for the student, it creates this increased caseload,” said Kate King, executive director of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN). “That inclusion has really increased the work of the school nurse.” Nationally, only about two-thirds of public schools have access to a full-time school nurse, such as a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse, according to a 2021 study from the NASN. Urban schools in the Northeast and the South are generally better staffed than rural schools in the Midwest and the West, data shows. As the number of students with medical needs in schools has grown, the number of nurses has plummeted. Some retired or left the field during the coronavirus pandemic. Competition for remaining licensed health-care professionals has made it harder for the public sector to attract nurses, who can earn more working in hospitals.