As a school nurse, Traci Jones, RN, PhD, NCSN, handed out ice packs and bandages, but she also helped students manage chronic health conditions ranging from diabetes and asthma to seizure disorders and life-threatening allergies.

“There can’t be an expectation that the teachers know how to identify healthcare issues,” said Jones, a school nurse administrator in Temple Hills, Maryland. “[There should be] a nurse in every school.”

School nurses oversee case management, assist with individualized education plans for students with disabilities; implement public health strategies for immunizations, natural disasters, and school violence; and connect families with community health resources.

Despite the essential role that school nurses play in ensuring the safety and well-being of schoolchil

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