School Nurses Alarmed Over Shrinking Staff, Rising Needs: Nurse Wooten

School Nurses Alarmed Over Shrinking Staff, Rising Needs

By MARILYN BROWN The Tampa Tribune

http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBPLN2QY5F.html


TAMPA - Hillsborough's school nurses are warning that student health is
in jeopardy because of district personnel cuts.

Over the past year, the district lost more than 66 of the 316 nurses and
health assistants who oversee about 191,000 students. A hiring freeze
kept those jobs vacant. Nine of the remaining 70 registered nurses met
with the superintendent Monday night to sound the alarm.

"Every one of us told her we're in fear of children not receiving the
right treatment," said Karen Tanski, a registered nurse with 21 years of
experience. "It's not safe out there in the schools."

The nurses are seeing more students with greater health problems,
including asthma, diabetes and allergies. At the same time, the
Hillsborough County school district this year ended its program to
dispense over-the-counter drugs that kept children in class.

And more students with disabilities and the severest health problems
have been placed back in regular public schools, nurses said, requiring
more, not less, trained staff.

A registered nurse with 16 years of experience in Hillsborough said she
has never seen it worse.

"That first day of school was absolutely horrendous," said Paula
Wootten, who has spent seven years at Lopez Exceptional Center, where
dozens of tube feedings and other procedures are required every day for
the severely and profoundly handicapped students. "I called my
supervisor that day and said: 'I'm not staying here if there is no help.
It is not safe.'"

A health assistant was assigned this week to help Wootten and the
licensed practical nurse at the center, but she remains concerned the
district is cutting back as health needs increase. She also supervises a
health assistant at nearby Lopez Elementary but said, "I haven't even
gotten over there yet."

The district ended its Healthy Student program when school started last
week. Parents can no longer sign up to have the district dispense
over-the-counter drugs such as Tylenol or Motrin when needed. Students
must sign out and go home instead, unless they have a doctor's note.
Students aren't allowed to bring any drug to school. Even cough drops
are prohibited.

The program was important because "it kept children in school," said
Sandy Gallogly, supervisor of school health services. But the district
could not afford the registered or licensed practical nurse required at
each school with the program.
List Of Nurses Turns Up 'Placeholders'

Despite the cutbacks, Nelson Luis, who oversees health services, said he
is confident children are safe and schools are covered.

"No child's going to go without care," Luis said. "I'm convinced we are
doing what we need to be doing - with less people, with cutbacks."

Luis, the district's general director for student support and federal
programs, said Monday morning that there is a health professional at
every school. On Tuesday morning, he produced a list showing at least
one person's name beside each school. Luis said the list was valid as of
last week, although subject to change.

The first name The Tampa Tribune checked out was Tanski. The list shows
her as the sole health care provider assigned to the South County Career
Center.

"I don't even know where that is," Tanski said Tuesday. Her assigned
schools are Dowdell Middle and Clair-Mel and Palm River elementary
schools, with Summerfield Elementary added this year, she said.

Gallogly said late Wednesday that the list remains "fluid" and is being
revised. Tanski's name was listed next to the career center as a
"placeholder." There is a nurse at the school, Gallogly said, but she
teaches there and is not employed by her department.

The health assistant listed for Riverview High School is Shelly Olsson,
who Gallogly confirmed has been doing paperwork and compiling records in
her office until this week. She has worked as a health assistant and
will work in that capacity to fill in where needed, Gallogly said.

"They're placeholders," Gallogly said of the assignments that don't
match what nurses said is reality. "The list is probably 96 percent
accurate."

Nurses describe daily challenges of monitoring children on chemotherapy,
students with transplants who must be observed for swelling, and sleep
apnea patients who could die if they fall asleep in class.

In addition, they supervise and train health assistants and other staff,
conduct mandated vision, height, weight and scoliosis screenings, make
home visits and alert parents of possible problems. They also assist
teachers and other staff, although the district's employee wellness
program was scrapped when its grant funding ran out.

"Last year a teacher came in not feeling well and I assessed her and was
sure she was going to have a heart attack," said Gayle Oord, a
registered nurse assigned to Newsome High. "I administered an aspirin
and called 911. The doctor told me she would have had a heart attack if
I hadn't given her an aspirin. She tells everybody I saved her life."

Hillsborough schools now have at least one defibrillator each. They are
just one of the technological advances that make health care better, but
more complex, nurses said.

"It's more complicated than it seems,' said Wootten. "Every [feeding]
pump is different. It may take you 15 or 20 minutes to figure out how to
fix it. That's 15 minutes I'm late being someplace."

Wooten knows the risks: "Last year I was reported to Child Protective
Services because I fed a child late. I had to tell them, 'I'm doing two
jobs.' That was the truth." She said no action was taken against her.
Worried About Care Guidelines

Nurses who requested the meeting with Schools Superintendent MaryEllen
Elia this week are concerned about whether they are complying with the
state Nurse Practice Act, which specifies requirements for medications
and procedures.

School board attorney Tom Gonzalez, who also met with the nurses Monday,
said Wednesday, "These nurses aren't going to be left out there." State
law gives the district the liability for school staff administering to
medical needs, he said.

Nurses train and supervise the 105 health assistants who may be the sole
health care worker assigned to a school. Health assistants must hold
nursing assistant certification and receive 80 hours of district
training, Gallogly said.

"They don't have the experience or the education to anticipate and
assess problems," said Barbara Ross, a registered nurse for 32 years, 12
in Hillsborough. "Basically we're teaching them first aid and some other
basic things."

She said she has sent letters to the district outlining her concerns.
"If I had a child in school, I would be concerned."

Dealing with the growing needs in student health has been a chronic
problem. For years, student health needs were handled as often by
clerical workers as they were by trained medical professionals.

In 2005, the district put a trained health care professional at every
school, a first for the district. Since then, the district lost
flexibility with federal funding that was used to help pay for nurses.
Last year, health professionals were funded by more than $6 million from
the district's general fund plus $1.6 million from federal money for
students with disabilities. The Hillsborough County Health Department
pays for 13 nurses.

Elia said Wednesday night that the current numbers are enough as long as
there is a health professional at every school.

She said some solutions were worked out with nurses Monday, which
included hiring retired nurses to review student health records at the
beginning of the school year.

"This is a national issue," Elia said, noting that Hillsborough has had
model programs for health. "It would not be my intention to cut. We're
near the level we should be."

Reporter Marilyn Brown can be reached at or (813)
259-8069.



CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....

CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.

every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com

Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS

*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*

Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5

Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that
are supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per
100,000 children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse
and kills more children then parents in the United States. If the
citizens of this country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold
parents too. No judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY
government agency because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and
death than any human being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more
human rights violations and deaths of children then the homes from which
they were removed. When are the judges going to wake up and see that
they are sending children to their death and a life of abuse when
children are removed from safe homes based on the mere opinion of a
bunch of social workers.


CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...


BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...