WATERBURY, Conn. (WFSB) — Like hospitals across the country, nursing shortages are affecting our schools.
In Waterbury, school nurses are stopping between schools to cover vacancies.
“Now was the time, shift work takes a toll on your body,” said Alison Sirovich, school nurse at Waterbury Career Academy.
Alison switched from hospital to school nursing in 2019.
But she’s only been at Waterbury Career Academy for about four months.
She has visited other schools in the city.
“I was in all the other schools. I was in Reagan Elementary School. I used to swim a lot, so I think I’ve been to almost every high school nurse’s office, every school nurse’s office in town,” Allison said.
Right now, there are over 15 school nurses in Waterbury.
It is thinning the nurses on staff.
The Health Department wants to make something similar to the training center of the Police Department.
Kind of a pipeline for creating incentives and eventually nurses here.
A big factor that is helping to contribute to the shortage is the high-paying nursing jobs.
Phyllis Levy is the president of the School Nurses Union.
This can be a potentially dangerous situation for students with medical conditions, without long appointments at schools, she says.
“Or, if someone doesn’t have a health condition, but all of a sudden they’re presenting some symptoms and I know that student, and looking at the record, reviewing the record, it’s not normal for this kid.” ,” Levy said to the school nurse at the Rotella Magnet School.
No one knows this better than Hope Fen.
She has been a school nurse at Gilmartin Elementary for 18 years.
She says there is a misconception that school nurses don’t have as hard a job as hospital nurses.
But for the students, they are the only medical personnel around.
“We’re the only people in school, like in the hospital you have your doctors, you have other doctors, other nurses you can pounce on. Here it is you, so you must have really good assessment skills,” Fenn said. said.
If you are interested in applying to become a school nurse in Brass City, Click here.
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