OpenCongress California Group - MyOC Groups

About this Bill; HR2229 IH was written by it’s sponsors and submitted to the House of Representatives for consideration in the 112th Congress 1st Session H.R 2229 to make demonstration grants to eligible local educational agencies for the purpose of reducing the student-to-school nurse ratio in public elementary schools and secondary schools. SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ‘Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Act of 2011’. The Congress finds the following: (1) The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes the crucial role school nurses have in the seamless provision of comprehensive health services to children and youth, as well as in the development of a coordinated school health program. (2) The school nurse functions as a leader and the coordinator of the school health services team, facilitating access to a medical home for each child and supporting school achievement. (3) Recent national data indicates 45 percent of public schools have a school nurse all day, every day, while another 30 percent of schools have a school nurse who works part time in 1 or more schools. (4) The American Nurses Association has reported that when there is no registered nurse on the school premises, the responsibility to administer the necessary medications and treatments, and appropriate monitoring of the children falls on the shoulders of administrators, educators, and staff who are ill-prepared to perform these tasks. (5) Statistics from the National Center for Educational Statistics indicate that of the 52,000,000 children who currently spend their day in schools, 16 percent have chronic physical, emotional, or other health problems. (6) A recent study indicated that from 2002 to 2008, the percentage of children in special education with health impairments, due to chronic or acute health problems, increased 60 percent. Within this group, the rate of autism has doubled since 2002. (7) A 40-percent increase in asthma has been seen in the past 10 years, along with nearly 50-percent increase in the incidence of diabetes in the same time period. (8) According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, students today face increased social issues as well as the need for preventative services and interventions for acute and chronic health issues. (9) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the percentage of children without health insurance was 8.9 percent in 2008, and with over 1,300,000 homeless children in the United States, schools have become the only source of health care for many children and adolescents. (10) Communicable and infectious diseases account for millions of school days lost each year. There is reported evidence that school nurses have a positive impact on immunization rates, with fewer parent requested exemptions. (11) A recent study showed that students with health concerns attended to by school nurses were able to return to class 95 percent of time, while students attended to by non-licensed staff were only able to return to class 82 percent of the time. (12) Using a formula-based approach for determining a balanced student-to-school nurse ratio offers a reasonable means for achieving better student outcomes. I urge you to support this bill. In my most recent role in California as a Credential School Nurse practitioner, the student ratio for me in California was one nurse to 4,129 students. North Carolina is ranked 32nd in the nation for school nurse to student ratio which is 1:1185. The CDC recommends the ratio to be 1:750, which this bill supports. The school nurses will reduce health care costs by keeping children out of the hospital and providing the services listed above. School nurses also help fight childhood obesity by setting up plans of action for children who are overweight, which also will reduce healthcare costs. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Del Grace RN, MSN, PNP Credential School Nurse Practitioner Doctoral Student 951-782-1160 Email: dgrace6@Capellauniversity.edu