SPONSOR:

Rep. Jaques on behalf of all Representatives

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

149th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 13

RECOGNIZING MAY 10, 2017 AS "NATIONAL SCHOOL NURSE DAY".

WHEREAS, children are the future and, by investing in them today, we are ensuring our world for tomorrow; and

WHEREAS, families deserve to feel confident that their children will be cared for when they are at school; and

WHEREAS, all students have a right to have their health needs safely met while in the school setting; and

WHEREAS, children today face more complex and life-threatening health problems requiring care in school; and

WHEREAS, school nurses have served a critical role in improving public health and in ensuring student’s academic success for more than 100 years; and

WHEREAS, school nurses address the home and community factors, such as social determinants, that impact students’ health; and

WHEREAS, school nurses are professional nurses that advance the well-being, academic success, and life-long achievements of all students by serving on the frontlines and providing a critical safety net for our nation’s most fragile children; and

WHEREAS, school nurses act as a liaison to the school community, families, and healthcare providers on behalf of children’s health by promoting wellness and improving health outcomes for our nation’s children; and

WHEREAS, school nurses support the health and educational success of children and youth by providing access to care when children’s cognitive development is at its peak; and

WHEREAS, school nurses are members of school-based teams for programs such as school health services, Section 504 and Individualized Education Plans (“IEP”), and disaster and emergency planning that address the school population; and

WHEREAS, during the 2015-2016 school year, 100% of students attending Delaware public schools had access to a full-time school nurse and 97.5% of students attending a Delaware non-public school had access to a school nurse; and

WHEREAS, during the 2015-2016 school year, Delaware public school nurses provided vision screening to 64,551 students in grades Pre-K through grade 12 and, of those screened, 6628, over 10%, were referred for further evaluation; and

WHEREAS, school nurses understand the link between health and learning and are in a position to make a positive difference for children every day.

NOW THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the 149 th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, acknowledges the accomplishments of school nurses and their efforts of meeting the needs of today’s students by improving the delivery of health care in our schools and offers gratitude for school nurses, who contribute to our local communities by helping students stay healthy, in school, and ready to learn, and keeping parents and guardians at work, not just on this National School Nurse Day, but at every opportunity throughout the year.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 149 th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, that May 10, 2017, is “National School Nurse Day” in Delaware.

SYNOPSIS

This Resolution recognizes the important work of school nurses and declares May 10, 2017 as "National School Nurse Day" in Delaware.