Big Hollow Dist. 38 to hire school nurse
The days of secretaries part-timing as health care workers are over at Big Hollow Elementary District 38 after officials agreed to find and hire its first-ever full-time school nurse.
Board President Vickie Gallichio said the Ingleside-based district is taking applications to interview and hire the nurse, who is expected to be in place before school begins later this month.
Gallichio said District 38 board members moved to fill the position after parents listed hiring a nurse as their number-one want in a survey earlier this year.
"This came from parental surveys, where they stated hiring a nurse was their most important priority," she said. "The board is always happy when we are able to fill a need our parents feel is important."
The registered nurse will work at all three schools at the district campus at Nippersink and Fish Lake roads. The position would pay roughly $20,000 annually, depending on the qualifications and number of days employed each year.
District 38 was assisted by Cameron Traut, a certified school nurse from Libertyville High School who also is president of Illinois Association of School Nurses.
The IASN aims to promote school health programs and provide a professional support network for school nurses. It also keeps track of legislation about immunization, asthma, allergies and other health topics that school nurses need to know about on a daily basis.
Traut has said in the past that the days when mothers would volunteer as nurses at most schools are over because school nursing is becoming more and more complex. However, according to the National Association of School Nurses, 50 percent of public schools in the United States do not have a full-time nurse.
Gallichio said school secretaries addressed health care needs for student in District 38 in the past.
"Fortunately, we have never had an incident in the past that could not be handled by one of the school secretaries," she said. "But, with more kids comes more responsibility, so the board felt it was time to bring someone in."
She said the nurse would be available in case of emergencies, but added her ability to hand out medicine to students will be limited to restrictions by law and the Illinois School Code.
"The nurse will do exactly what the secretaries did in the past because, by law, a nurse cannot administer medicine to students," Gallichio said. "But, they will be on hand and available for any medical emergencies and available to call paramedics if needed."