NEW YORK NURSE: September 2007
In response to Madelaine Binner’s column in the May 2007 issue of New York Nurse, the New York State Association of School Nurses (NYSASN) has been diligently working on the issue of an RN in every school, in spite of whatever opinion the New York School Boards Association may have.
In 2005 we were successful in getting an amendment to state law specifying that if a school hires a nurse, that person must be a registered professional nurse. I assure you this is not a stale issue, and NYSASN is currently working toward legislation which will mandate an RN in every school.
I am curious as to why Ms. Binner did not respond to an article in the December 2005 issue of Report, which spoke directly to the issue of medication administration in daycare centers, and included a “Parents’ Guide to Safe Medication Administration in Daycare Settings.”
Yes, it does seem that RN practice is being “chipped away.” Unlicensed personnel can give medications in daycare settings, RNs are being assured by the Office of Professions that they will not be disciplined for training unlicensed personnel to give glucagon in schools in an emergency situation, and unlicensed personnel are giving medications in OMRDD settings.
The only good thing about all of these situations is that while personnel giving medications in these settings are unlicensed, they are trained by an RN and assessed as competent. According to the December 2005 article, “NYSNA’s Expanded Council on Nursing Practice discussed the regulations, waivers, and other issues related to unlicensed personnel administering medications to children.”
NYSASN also has position statements regarding the importance of an RN in every school, and also concerning the administration of glucagon by unlicensed personnel in schools. Both are available on our web site www.nysasn.org. If you are interested in helping us toward the goal of an RN in every school, please contact our Legislative Chairperson, Stacey Marye, via our Web site.
Charlotte G. Kramer, RN
Past President, NYSASN
Binghamton High School