Wanted: a nurse for every school

A mother's modest effort to put nurses in every Utah public school has multiplied into a statewide network of support, petitions, a college project and, likely, Capitol Hill discussions.

Paula Tuck, whose family moved from Texas to Tooele last spring, has received more than 3,200 signatures on a petition to get full-time school nurses in Utah public schools. The presence of a professional, she says, could have prevented her 10-year-old from overdosing on asthma medication two months ago.

Her effort has attracted more than 100 petition-circulating volunteers and support from the Utah School Nurses Association, the American Federation of Teachers and other labor unions. A handful of LDS Business College students are digging in. And a Utah legislator is pursuing a bill.

"I just appreciate everyone who is interested and supportive," Tuck said. "It's getting the word out."

Utah has the biggest school nurse-to-student ratio in the country — one for every 5,834 schoolchildren, said Deborah Milan-Niler, president of the Utah School Nurses Association.

The National Association of School Nurses recommends one for every 750 schoolchildren, she said.

Utah school nurses, who offer immunizations, health screenings and education as well as triage and medical help, often work with several schools at a time. In rural areas, that might mean a three-hour drive, Milan-Niler said.

"We believe school districts in general value the importance of having a school nurse. But there is only so much money that can be allocated," she said. "But the health and safety of children at school has reached a crisis. We really believe Utah needs to re-evaluate how it addresses (it.)"

Children are being released from hospitals earlier in their recovery and returning to school, where they often require care best placed in the hands of a registered nurse, Milan-Niler said. More children also are being diagnosed with special and chronic health-care needs, such as diabetes and food allergies.

Asthma is in the same category. That's what Tuck's daughter, Michaela, has.

Michaela's Tooele elementary school had a part-time nurse, with whom the family had established a health plan. Michaela had learned how to use an inhaler common for asthma attacks.

In September, Michaela had an attack at school, her mother said. She took some puffs of the inhaler. She still couldn't breathe, and took some more. Tuck was called to the school.

By the time Tuck arrived, Michaela had inhaled three times the recommended dosage. "She panicked because she couldn't breathe," she said.