Archive for August, 2008

This September marks the fifth annual National Preparedness Month (NPM) and School Kids Healthcare wants to know are you ready?  This year’s focus of NPM is to encourage citizens to take these important preparedness steps:

Get a Kit – So, what should you put in your kit?  When thinking about preparing for a possible emergency it’s best to think about your basic survival needs - fresh water, food, clean air, and warmth.

When preparing your own emergency supply kit these items are some of the recommended items: 3 day supply of 1 gallon of water and non-perishable food per person per day, first aid kit, flashlight, batteries, moist towelettes, and feminine needs.  Click here for a complete, printer-friendly check list.

Make a Plan – Your family needs to have an emergency plan.  You may not all be together when a disaster strikes so it is best to plan ahead of time.  A few basic questions to answer when making this plan are: how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations.  What natural and man-made disasters could occur in your area?  Make a plan for each different situation.  Click here for more information and a family emergency plan template.

Be Informed – Research what emergencies could occur in your area and how you should handle them.  Learn the emergency plans that have been established in your area by your state and local government.  Stay up to date on community and state information. 

Get Involved – Once you’ve prepared your emergency preparedness kit, made your emergency plan, and you’ve informed yourself, what’s next?  Stay involved.  Learn more about Citizen Corps, which actively involves citizens in making our communities and our nation safer, stronger and better prepared.  Talk with your neighbors, local fire and police departments, school districts, etc.

How do these government preparedness recommendations coincide with your school’s plan of action?  Do individual classrooms have an emergency response kit or is there one main school extended support emergency kit?

To find out how prepared you are take the “What’s Your Readiness Quotient” quiz.

Ready America Brochure
NPM 2008 Press Release

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It’s no secret that the US Economy has seen better days. The cost of energy and oil are always going up. Manufacturers are being forced to raise prices that in turn trickle down to you, the consumer. Unfortunately, medical gloves are not exempt from this.Other vendors have already announced price increases on latex gloves and latex free gloves. Some of these other vendor’s price increases have already gone into effect. School Kids Healthcare will eventually have to raise their prices as well, however not until later this year. School Kids Healthcare is always working hard to get you the best prices.

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Maggie Beall is a School Nurse in Pennsylvania.  Watch this short video on who inspired Maggie to become a School Nurse.  Take a moment and comment on why you chose to become a School Nurse.  

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It’s getting to be that time. You may already be there, heck, you may have never even left – school. You’re probably running around making sure you have diabetic supplies and screening tests on hand, arranging health room supplies, oh yeah, and planning the school year.

Many communities will be hosting back to school events offering free school supplies, immunizations, and screenings for students. What’s your community doing? Is your school hosting any free school supply giveaways or offering free vision and hearing testing? Take a moment to spread the word.

Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Palm Bay, Florida recently held an event for parents to determine if their children were eligible for Florida KidCare health insurance program as well as gave away free school supplies.

Speaking of health insurance, do parents know their children may be eligible for free or low-cost health insurance? The US Department of Health and Human Services notes every state in the nation has health insurance programs for children 18 years old and younger. For little or no cost the insurance covers doctor visits, prescription medicines, and much more. To find out your state’s program click here.

As a school nurse are there any suggestions you have for parents about getting their child ready for the upcoming school year? Should Asthma Action Plan forms be filled out? Are there any school nursing supplies you would love to see families donate to the school health room?

Don’t forget to take this week’s democracy poll!

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The link between vision and hearing problems and barriers to learning is quite straightforward. Not so obvious is the link between postural screening and educational performance.

A quick search of the internet finds that the National Association of School Nurses devotes an entire publication to postural screening. There is a National Scoliosis Foundation and a Scoliosis Research Society. In addition, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has a very thorough training manual for postural screening programs.

In the Massachusetts document, it states that “Severe curvatures, left untreated, can cause physical deformity, arthritic symptoms, heart and lung disorders, and other medical problems.” What school nurse wouldn’t want to prevent complications as serious as these?

In the part of the country where I live (Wisconsin), there is no mandate for postural screening. Perhaps there should be, if we want to prevent health problems related to severe scoliosis. But given the shrinking resources, both human and financial, that school districts all over the country are experiencing, is this labor-intensive screening cost-effective? Is there anything to substantiate its value in evidence-based practice research?

The statistics from the Massachusetts manual say that “Signs of a lateral curvature (scoliosis) occur in about 10% of the population although only about 2% develop a condition which would require medical treatment.”

Let’s do the math. In my district, screening 5th through 9th graders would result in approximately 5,000 students being screened. Based on the data, I might expect to have 500 students with positive findings. Of those, approximately 10 would have curvature severe enough to require medical treatment. The other 490 may or may not progress to a greater degree of severity.

I would argue that for those 10 students and their families, screening would be life-altering. I’m wondering what you think? To screen or not to screen, that is the question!

Twyla Lato, RN, BSN, NCSN is a School District Nurse for a suburban community in southeast Wisconsin, and a past president of the Wisconsin Association of School Nurses.

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