National School Nurse Day, May 8, celebrates the dedication each of HISD’s 280 school nurses has to the health and wellness of every student.

School nurses are not just there for students who scrape a knee or have a runny nose. They also promote disease prevention and, according to the National Association of School Nurses, spend about 32 percent of their time providing mental health services.

School nurses have specialized knowledge, skills, and judgment to manage complex medical conditions and chronic health illnesses to keep students healthy, in class, and ready to learn. The most common condition HISD school nurses treated last year was asthma.

Overall, less than 20 percent of the students who see a school nurse end up needing to go home.

Take a moment on Wednesday to say thanks to the nurse at your school. He or she is dedicated to keeping students healthy in and out of the classroom.