A department that plays a vital role in "continuously improving the learning environment for students and staff" is Health Services. We believe that there is a strong connection between academic achievement and the overall health and well being of students.
In C-FB ISD, we are fortunate to have registered nurses (RNs) on our educational team. These individuals play integral roles in helping C-FB ISD meet the core value: "learning occurs best in a safe, orderly and nurturing environment."
Not only is it important academically for students to attend school each day, but district finances are tied directly to their attendance. Of course, we never want students to attend school if they are sick, but we do want students in school every day if they are well. District nurses help all students feel safe and supported especially those students who have acute, chronic, episodic and emergency medical needs.
The registered nurses' expertise in clinical assessment and critical thinking skills enable them to:
- Provide care and support to students to maximize time in the classroom.
- Reduce the number of students sent home unnecessarily.
- Provide appropriate nursing interventions and community referrals to maximize instructional time.
- Provide follow-up care within the school setting to reduce absences.
- Reduce spread of contagious illnesses, resulting in fewer sick days for students and staff.
Your school nurses play an integral role in monitoring influenza. In fact, their data has been presented at national epidemiology conferences. Dallas County is currently the only county in the nation to have such detailed school flu and absence data. C-FB ISD schools are the only ones reporting on a daily basis communicable disease information in Denton County to its health department.
Immunizations/Health Screenings
Our school nurses work with families to ensure their students have all state-required immunizations. Every year, the nurses notify families of the needed immunizations. In 2010, the district had a 99.9% compliance rate for all immunizations required by Texas. We hope that this good news will mean less instructional time lost to illness.
Hearing, vision, spinal and diabetes screenings are required by the Texas Department of Health Services. Our Health Services team screens all students in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first, third, fifth and seventh grades as well as any new students for vision, hearing and diabetes risk. Scoliosis screenings occur in grades 5 and 8. Our nurses then refer students to physicians if needed.
Health Education/Partnerships
Our nurses provide classroom instruction on various topics. The nurses may speak in our elementary schools on dental health and hand washing and in other schools about nutrition. They may address other topics as requested by the teachers and principals.
Our Health Services Department has formed numerous community partnerships. For example, they work with the Carrollton Evening Lions Club in their vision clinics held twice a year at Vivian Field Middle School. The nurses also volunteer with the Care Van Immunization clinic at McDonald's every other month to provide free vaccines to students.
Our Health Services Department assists the district in improving the learning environment for our students and staff. To learn more about the district's Health Services, visit the department's website: Health Services.
In C-FB ISD, we have one goal, “high student achievement for all students.” Students need to be in school every day ready to learn because we know that effort produces achievement. With the knowledge and collaboration of our Health Services Department team, C-FB ISD is joining forces with community resources to support families and keep students in the classrooms. We are working to provide a positive learning environment for students and staff.
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