Amid a national nursing shortage, more than one-third of schools across the country do not have a full-time on-site nurse as students face higher rates of chronic illness, an unprecedented youth mental health crisis and the waning COVID-19 epidemic.

School nurses play a critical role by administering medications, monitoring student vaccinations, tracking COVID-19 cases and tracing exposures, and more.

Absences are higher in schools without access to a nurse, said Kate King, the president of the National Association of School Nurses. A Journal of School Nursing study found that students with illnesses or injuries were sent home 18% of the time when evaluated by an unlicensed school employee, compared with 5% of the time when evaluated by a school nurse.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least one full-time nurse for every 750 students. Most states fall far short of that mark.

The national nursing shortage makes hiring more challenging for school districts. The national median salary for school nurses is nearly $55,000, but a registered nurse could make nearly $30,000 more working at a hospital.

KFF Health News, Oct. 16