Special Medical Needs of Students
The article, “More Teachers Handling Pupils’ Medical Needs” (Nov. 17), was truly shocking.
The focus appeared to be on the extra burden for teachers who are now required to care for their students’ complex medical conditions. The real story here is that the schools are requiring teachers and other school employees to practice nursing without a license.
Assessing the severity of an acute episode for a child with “severe respiratory problems” and making treatment decisions? Suctioning tracheotomies? Tube feedings? Catheter changes? Dispensing potentially lethal medications? Oh, my!
Although the article referred to medical decisions and treatments, the fact is that those assessments and responses are the province of registered nurses. And although the RN may delegate a procedure to a properly taught and supervised person of lesser qualifications, nothing in the article suggests that there is anything resembling education, supervision or appropriate delegation of tasks in the schools.
“Iowa . . . passed a law in 1991 requiring teachers to receive training for medical procedures they might be required to perform, but it stipulated that they had the right to refuse to do them. California has no such law.” But we do have laws forbidding the practice of professional nursing without a license.
If I were a teacher, I would unequivocally refuse to provide care beyond my level of knowledge and expertise. Teachers should teach. Nurses should nurse.
PATRICIA A. FYLER RN
Brea
* The article accurately reported the unfortunate growing special needs of many students. Los Angeles Unified School District nurses probably deliver more nursing services to more students than any other district in the nation. Still, we cannot keep up with the increasing medical needs of our “special needs” students.
Parents have a right to know who is providing services to their children. Teachers need the security of having a resource, i.e., nurses or doctors, on campus to make the necessary medical decisions. School boards have the power to place qualified full-time nurses in their schools. Our students and their teachers are worth it!
TONI BRAUN RN
School Nurse
LAUSD
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