Reopening of schools in Europe: this is why to focus on the school nurse. His role, inter-professional relations,
how many would be needed – about 9,000 – and why for Italian schools.
ECDC (the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control) and the Higher Institute of Health speak clearly for the reopening of schools.
The first is by placing the school nurse among the staff of health control institutes, a figure already established by law in Spain, widespread regularly in the United States and common to many other European countries.
The second provides that, without prejudice to the diagnosis and treatment of doctors, an adequately trained school contact for Covid-19 is identified, who keeps a register of any contacts between students and / or staff of different classes, requires the collaboration of parents to measure the child’s temperature every day and report any absences for health reasons attributable to Covid-19.
And it identifies it from the point of view of health also among health assistants, nurses, doctors present in the prevention departments with the task, in functional connection with the doctors treating the students, to support the school and the treating doctors for the activities of the protocol for the assistance at school. The contact person will be the reference for direct contact with the head teacher or his / her representative (school contact person for COVID19) and with the doctor who is in charge of the patient.
What nurses do in Europe.
“Tomorrow – he explains Barbara Mangiacavalli, president of the National Federation of Nursing Professions (FNOPI) – Minister of Health Roberto Speranza will participate in an international conference promoted by WHO Europe which has the reopening of schools on its agenda. The aim is to give indications on procedures that can be shared, beyond the different situations of the EU countries. In this context, the considerations of the ECDC and the model designed by the ISS are valid. And our Federation ensures maximum collaboration with the institutions to allow the schools to reopen safely ”.
The FNOPI proposal is to equip every school institution (the school’s main office: in Italy there are just under 9 thousand and include about 57 thousand state and recognized educational institutions in the country) with a school nurse with a proactive role in relation to the health of pupils . A nurse who in fact already exists: he is the family and community nurse.
In essence, the school nurse, in this capacity, will be present in the complexes and will be able to act proactively and not only on call to verify the correct application of the anti-COVID measures, but also the health and welfare needs of the students (and teaching staff) non-COVID (in Italy there are about 246 thousand pupils with disabilities who need assistance), alerting and activating if necessary the doctor of the prevention department to which the school complex refers.
The function of the school nurse organized in this way is not a new role to be included, but a component of that of the family and community nurse introduced by the Health Pact and the Relaunch decree, precisely because of the “community” characteristic of schools. In addition to assistance, it coordinates and supervises the people who are part of the community care network, works in synergy with organizations, Mmgs and other professionals, collaborates with the general practitioner, with social and welfare services professionals and volunteers , designs and activates health promotion initiatives, applies educational strategies and methods to groups of people, for the improvement of habits and lifestyles and for self-management.
“The school nurse – he adds Horse Eater – promotes health: it helps individuals to have the means and knowledge for greater control over their level of health. Having a professional nurse at school guarantees respect for health protection rights and the right to education; it transmits greater security to parents who see their child taken care of globally and absenteeism due to the administration of therapies is reduced ”.
“According to the American Academy of Pediatrics – he adds – modern school nurses evaluate health problems, assist students with special health care needs, participate in the management of emergencies and urgent situations, manage health screening, immunization and reporting of infectious diseases, identify and manage chronic health care needs ”.
“In addition, school nurses – concludes Mangiacavalli – are the main health workers for students living in rural and disadvantaged areas who lack access to health care and play a fundamental role in the community to identify unmet health needs and promote relationship between health and education “.
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