Michigan has fewer school nurses than any state in the nation, so complex medical tasks like figuring out how to dose insulin routinely are placed in the hands of unskilled staffers like school secretaries. The Governor’s Office appointed a task force that has been studying the issue, but no steps have been taken to address the problem at a state level. This article examined the risks to children at a time when a rising number of kids suffer from chronic conditions such as asthma, epilepsy and food allergies. The story described in detail what school nurses do, and told about cash-strapped districts that are providing school nurses through collaborations with foundations, businesses and non-profits.
