In the face of a widespread shortage of school nurses, a new initiative aims to ease the burden in Northeast Pennsylvania. Theresa Cesarini, a travel school nurse, finds herself at the forefront of this effort, bringing vital healthcare services to various schools in the region on any given day.
The Moses Taylor Foundation, in collaboration with the Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit, has implemented the Travel School Nurse Pilot Program, with Cesarini being the pioneering nurse in this role. She emphasizes the significance of her work, stating, “I’m grateful to be able to do it. I think school nurses are a very integral part of the education that kids are getting, because they not only come in for meds, they come in for support.”
Substitute Shortages
According to a study conducted in partnership with the Center for School Health Innovation & Quality, there is a critical lack of substitute nurses in the region’s schools. The report highlights that 89% of nurses reported insufficient availability of substitutes, often necessitating reliance on staffing agencies whose personnel may lack proper training in school health settings.
Erin Maughan, director of the Center for School Health Innovation & Quality, noted, “Sometimes they wouldn’t take days off because of the moral distress it put on their fellow co-workers or the school.”
The Evolving Role of School Nurses
Over the years, the responsibilities of school nurses have expanded significantly. Christine Marcos of the Moses Taylor Foundation explained, “We just keep trying to raise awareness of the importance of the school nurse role. The role has become so much more complex in terms of managing children with chronic conditions like diabetes and asthma. The mental health piece has become huge.”
The 2022-23 report indicates that when substitute nurses are unavailable, 53% of the time, staff from other schools are reassigned to fill the gap, and in 20% of cases, no coverage is provided.
Innovative Coverage Solutions
Following the identification of this need, the Moses Taylor Foundation explored different nurse coverage models from across the country, leading to the establishment of the travel nurse program. Cary Laboranti, a certified school nurse and coordinator for the pilot project, expressed excitement about the initiative’s potential benefits, saying, “I’m just excited that we’ve been able to take on the opportunity.”
The long-term goal is for school districts to share the costs to sustain the travel nurse position after the pilot period, according to Marcos.
Sarah Hofius Hall
/
WVIA News
As the program progresses, data collected by Maughan is expected to demonstrate to districts the cost-effectiveness of employing a float nurse compared to agency substitutes. Cesarini, with over two decades of experience in healthcare, including pediatrics, reflects on the unexpected yet crucial demand for her role, saying, “I had never expected to see what I’m seeing, and the need is so great.”
