School Nurse Hiring & Retention Grant

Saturday, December 24th, 2022 -- 9:40 AM

(By Rich Kremer, Wisconsin Public Radio) -As Wisconsin schools grapple with a shortage of nurses, an $8.3 million grant to help with hiring and retention is seen as a start to addressing a long-term need. 

Shorewood School District nurse and president of the Wisconsin Association of School Nurses, Kelly Barlow, told Wisconsin Public Radio's "The Morning Show" on Friday that the ratio of nurses to students in the state varies widely. She said in some districts, nurses serve around 500 students. In others, Barlow said the ratio can reach one nurse to 4,000 students. "The nurse-to-patient ratio, whether it's in a hospital, in a clinic or in a school setting, needs to start being taken seriously," Barlow said. "Because a lot of nurses are facing that stress and that burnout very quickly. And we're seeing a lot of nurses leaving the profession."

Wisconsin statute doesn't require a full-time nurse within each school building and in most cases there's just one nurse for an entire district.  The Wisconsin Department of Health Services recently announced an $8.3 million grant to help K-12 schools hire and retain school nurses and other health staff. The grant also provides funding for nurses to pursue wellness activities like gym memberships. Barlow said the association is grateful for the increased funding, but it won't provide a long-term solution.

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