The school nurse workforce has always been unstable, but district budget cuts and increased scrutiny from parents adds a new layer to job security concerns, says Lynn Nelson, board president of the National Association of School Nurses.
Because most states don’t have a legal mandate as to how many nurses are required to work in a school district, school nurses are often more vulnerable to layoffs, says Nelson.
School nurses are often on the front lines in responding to student illness or injury or when they need help managing a chronic condition at school, said Lesley Slaughter, senior vice president at Soliant, in a statement.
“These findings show that school nurse shortages are not just a staffing issue. They are a student support issue,” Slaughter said. “When schools cannot keep those roles filled and supported, the impact is felt by students, families, teachers and administrators.”
Only 8% of school nurses plan to stay in the education sector until they retire, and 71% expect to keep working in schools for just six more years or less, according to the Soliant survey.
The retention rate data raises red flags about the stability of the school nursing workforce and employees’ ability to sustainably take care of students.
Current staffing shortages are the biggest factor cited by school nurses for burnout, according to an April survey by Soliant, a healthcare staffing provider, and cited in a K-12 Dive article.
Other contributors to burnout include student behavioral problems, high caseloads, safety concerns and administrative demands.
Compensation concerns also played a role in school nurse burnout, according to the report.
Another factor: A small but angry group of parents can sometimes antagonize school nurses as pushback persists over children’s vaccinations or whether to keep students home when they are sick.
K-12 Dive
