ANA Position Statement - Approved 3/16/07
Students’ health and health needs must be addressed in schools to achieve optimum learning.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) supports a collaborative school
health model which best protects the fundamental public health and
educational priority our nation’s children represent. Based in part on
the success of public health planning, it requires the cooperation and
participation of health care professionals, teachers, school
administrators and staff, students, families, and the community.
In such a model, the school nurse serves in the role of coordinator of care, information,
education, personnel and resources to take best advantage of schools’ unique position in
addressing students’ safety and health care needs. As with any
professional registered nurse, the school nurse’s role also includes
direct care, as well as educating and delegating health care activities
to others (both healthcare and non-healthcare personnel) under various
guidelines and protocols, as permitted by each state’s Nurse Practice
Act.
To that end, ANA supports the assignment and daily availability of a
registered school nurse for the central management and implementation of
school health services at the recommended ratio of one nurse for every
750 students, with an ultimate goal of at least one nurse in every
school. If the school nurse is assigned to more than one facility, the
total number of students that the nurse serves should not exceed 750.
Furthermore, ANA supports and recommends a modified ratio of fewer
students per nurse, dependent upon the number and severity of
disabilities within the student population.
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