Last Jan. 31, the Department of Education (DepEd) came up with an official statement on COVID-19 providing a directive to its personnel on managing this health situation. Several media outlets covered significant developments in the education sector, such as the temporary suspension of national, regional, and off-campus activities; ensuring an adequate supply of water, soap, hand sanitizers; and travel restrictions, among others. But a largely overlooked issue appears to be our nurses and, to a greater extent, our nursing profession. Close to 30 million primary and secondary students attend public and private schools in the Philippines. Our school administration, staff members, parents, and students must work together to promote and nurture a safe environment for our students. Emergencies such as the COVID-19 outbreak in the school setting are likely to happen. Those involved in the care of students must be prepared to meet the demands of such emergencies.
The role of our school nurses, although small in number, is of vital importance. They are leaders and integral partners of school staff and outside agencies in developing comprehensive school plans/procedures for educating and training staff, providing surveillance and reporting, and assisting survivors with their immediate psychological and emotional needs; caring for students with special needs; and ensuring injury prevention and proper evacuation, among others.
To optimize student health, safety, and learning, the DepEd should mobilize its school nurse workforce and harness them as health care providers who are essential members of the leadership team from the district, regional, and to the national levels. It can utilize their expertise in assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation, because our school nurses can provide valuable insights on school campus emergency management such as prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.We believe our school nurses play an essential role in keeping our children healthy, safe, and ready to learn.
JEROME BABATE,
president, Beta Nu Delta Nursing Society,profbabate@gmail.com