Few School Nurses
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Comment| Wednesday, October 8th, 2008 | Emily Halevy | CWK Producer |
“For instance, if a child has low blood sugar while they’re taking a test, there’s no way for them to complete that test - they can’t think properly, they need to stop, check their blood sugar and treat it before they can go back - so they do need to get accommodations for that.”
– Sue Tocher, certified diabetes educator, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Two facts about children and health are on a collision course. First, there is a shortage of nurses in American schools. Second, the number of kids who need some level of medical care while in school is growing.
Seven-year-old Merrit Delandero has Type-I Diabetes.
“She has to have her blood sugar checked breakfast, lunch and dinner and before bedtime and then she has to get insulin for her lunch,” her mom explains.
She has to visit the school nurse three times a day at least - and she has to keep a journal of everything she eats, so the nurse knows how much insulin to give her.
Almost 200,000 young people in the United States have diabetes. And some, like Merrit, cannot learn or even go to school without the help of a school nurse.
“For instance, if a child has low blood sugar while they’re taking a test, there’s no way for them to complete that test - they can’t think properly, they need to stop, check their blood sugar and treat it before they can go back - so they do need to get accommodations for that,” explains Sue Tocher, a registered dietician and certified diabetes educator at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Besides better grades, she says, monitoring diabetes can be a matter of life or death.
“They can actually end up in the hospital in a condition called DKA, or diabetic ketoacidosis,” Tocher says. “It’s very serious and it can actually lead to coma and death.”
Merrit’s mom says that’s why it’s so important to know that her child is in the care of a school nurse. “I mean, she calls me - if Merrit’s running low, she calls me and says ‘I’m gonna give her a little juice, I’ll check her again and see where she is.’ If she’s high, she calls me to let me know,” she says, “and that’s what makes me feel comfortable sending her to school everyday is that I know they’re gonna call me if there’s a problem.”
And Merrit seems to like her too. “She’s great!” she says.
Tips for Parents
According to the American Diabetes Association over 23 million Americans suffer from diabetes. That’s 8 percent of the population. The number of people diagnosed with diabetes increased 13.5 percent since 2005. As the prevalence of diabetes continues to grow, so does the cost. In a single year, the estimated cost of healthcare for diabetes is $174 billion.
It’s still unclear why people develop diabetes. Genes do play a role but how much of a role is uncertain. Close relatives of people with diabetes have a greater chance of developing it themselves. However, research has shown that diabetes is not caused by genetics alone.
The ADA lists the following as symptoms of diabetes:
- frequent urination
- excessive thirst
- extreme hunger
- unusual weight loss
- increased fatigue
- irritability
- blurry vision
If your child has one or more of these symptoms, talk to their pediatrician right away.
Experts at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta advise that if your child is diagnosed with diabetes, immediately notify their school. Plan a meeting with their teachers, the principal, and the school nurse - to discuss what accommodations need to be made for your child. Supply your school with a diabetes packet. In it should include an information packet, explaining what diabetes is and how it is treated, a health care plan, outlining your child’s treatment regimen, and a “504 plan” - covering the responsibilities of the parent and the school.
If your child’s school does not have a school nurse, find out if another teacher or administrator there has diabetes. They may be willing to help care for your child. If no one is available to care for your child at school, contact your child’s pediatrician - to have a licensed nurse train someone at the school to administer insulin and check blood sugar.
References
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
- National Association of School Nurses
- American Diabetes Association
