What School Nurses Do

• Health Management & Emergency Response
  Nurses administer daily medications, treat injuries, and stabilize students during emergencies, everything from insulin management for diabetic students to seizure protocols and severe asthma attacks.
• Care Coordination & Public Health
  They work with families, physicians, and health agencies to manage chronic illness, lead vaccination clinics, and coordinate telehealth services.
• Educational Impact
  Students who have access to school nurses exhibit fewer absences, better chronic disease control, and improved academic outcomes. Chronic health issues without proper on-site care correlate with higher absenteeism and lower attainment.

The Current Shortage Crisis

DC’s longstanding partnership with Children’s National Hospital, a $25 million program that staffed nurses in both public and public charter schools, ended on June 28, resulting in 226 layoffs. In response, the DC Health Department is scrambling to rehire, but currently, school nurses are tasked with covering multiple buildings, some taking on four schools or more.

Critical medical care may be delayed without full-time nurses, and students may miss valuable instructional time.

Why It Matters in Public Charter Schools

DC public charter schools serve diverse, often under-resourced communities. Many students live in wards with pronounced health disparities, where life expectancy and preventable health conditions disproportionately affect certain residents. Without adequate nursing support, schools become the only point of consistent health service for children who might otherwise fall through systemic cracks.

Public Support in DC Students’ Access to School Nurses

1. Advocate for Full-Time Nurses
   Parents, educators, and school boards should urge the city to prioritize hiring registered nurses in each charter school.
2. Form Cross-Sector Partnerships
   Collaborations with local hospitals, community health centers, and nonprofits can fund nurses or nurse-associated services.
3. Measure Impact Clearly
   Track outcomes such as reduced absenteeism, better chronic disease control, and fewer emergency visits to justify increases in nursing staff.

School nurses are more than medical responders. They are educators, public-health coordinators, safety officers, and advocates.

That’s why DC PCSB continues to advocate for consistent, full-time nursing coverage in every school—because student wellness is foundational to student success.