As a dedicated district school nurse consultant for two elementary schools, I have been entrusted with the health and well-being of countless children from Pre-K through 5th grade. Two days a week, I also provide direct care for a medically complex student. It's a huge responsibility and regretfully, due to the lack of nurses at schools, non-medical staff are often thrusted into roles they are not adequately skilled for despite the training and oversight of a school nurse. 

The seed of fear is sown in my heart—fear for the students and the staff who are expected to perform nursing services and manage emergencies in the school setting when a qualified nurse is not available. To address this, we turn our eyes to a proposed bill, currently sitting in Congress.

The "One School, One Nurse Bill," if passed, would mandate the assignment of one nurse to every school in the country. This critical measure could potentially save countless lives by ensuring that our children have access to adequate healthcare services within the school environment. Based on the National Association of School Nurses recommendation, there should be at least one full-time nurse for every 750 students in the well population. Yet, this is often far from the reality.

It's untenable to continue placing the responsibility of emergency medical care on under-qualified staff. This puts student health and lives at risk, and adds unnecessary stress to our hard-working educators who already hold valuable roles within our education system.

It's time to recognize the glaring gaps in our school health services and do something about it. The journey to make substantive modifications begins with us. Let us unify our voices to advocate for the passage of the "One School, One Nurse Bill" and protect the health of our country's most valuable assets—our children. We call on all concerned citizens and legislatures to honor the value of school health, the nurses who provide it, and the children who need it. Please, support this cause by signing our petition.