Agenda 04-01-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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PUBLIC HEALTH TASK FORCE 2004: PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS PUBLIC HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN SCHOOL NURSE SERVICES Need Addressed /Rationale The health needs of students have changed dramatically in the past ten years creating increased demands for appropriate care from school nurses. Yet the ratio of school nurses to students in North Carolina remains far below national recommendations. The North Carolina Annual Survey for Public Schools for 2003 reported 10 percent of students present with chronic illnesses or special health care needs. More than 12,000 students needed one or more invasive procedure performed during the school day and six percent of students receive medication while at school. School nurses are often responsible for supervising the care of children whose illnesses (e.g. acute asthma and diabetes) were managed in a hospital setting prior to the restructuring of the health care system that reduced hospitalizations and/or length of stay. In addition to the growing numbers of children with complex health problems, the prevalence of high - risk behaviors in schools continues to be elevated. The new "social morbidities" include substance abuse, homicide, suicide, child abuse and neglect, and developmental problems. Preventive health programs have become a greater focus in schools as the obesity epidemic is affecting children and youth at earlier and earlier ages. One in four North Carolina teens and one in five children, 5 to 11 years, are now overweight. School nurses play important roles in meeting all these needs. Yet the North Carolina statewide school nurse to student ratio averages 1:1918. Ratios range from 1:473 in one county, to 1:7082 in another, based on full -time equivalencies. Four local school systems do not have any school nursing services. Infrastructure /Capacity Improvement Set a state - funding ratio for school nurse positions to meet the national recommendation of 1:750. In FY 2002 -03 there were 667 school nurses in North Carolina, 323 of which were from State expenditures. It is estimated that additional 1,052 nurses will be needed to meet the 1:750 ratio. This program proposes that State funding be provided through the Division of Public Health. Budget Funding earmarked for local health departments'and local educational $13,144,214* agencies; provides for: schools nurses to be placed in counties at a rate of 263 /year over four, years to achieve a statewide nurse- student ratio of 1:7.50: *Year l Request is for' a four year (2005 -2008) implementation schedule: • .:'Year l : $ 13,144,214 • , Year 2: $ 26,288,428 • Year 3: $ 39;432,642 • Year 4:.$ 52,576,856/year ongoing 42