Wednesday, May 7, 2008, is National School Nurse Day.  The Florida Association of School Nurses encourages you to join with us in celebrating School Nurse Day.  We are a voice for positive change within our schools.  Every time we are able to send a student back to class or write a nursing care plan that decreases absenteeism or increases the safety of a student. We are advocating for student success.  We are educating students for a lifetime.  Every day, as we walk into our schools, we make a difference.  We are serving over 3,000,000 students in the state of Florida.  And we do this with less than 1800 nurses.

The theme for Nurse's Week is "Nurses Believe in Possibilities."  As school nurses, we not only believe in possibilities, but we watch those possibilities become realities daily.  We realize that the earlier in a student's education their health problems are addressed, the better the educational outcomes.  Students will be absent less and they will spend more time actually engaged in learning.  They will be less apt to drop out of education altogether.  We have reasons to celebrate school nursing!

Yet, I know it is difficult to find reasons to celebrate in these challenging times.  Many of us are facing cuts in our districts, our departments, even our own jobs.  These concerns are real.  More than ever, we must speak up about the value of school nursing services.  We must put a face to the statistics.  We need to ask parents to tell their stories, too.  We need to encourage and support our colleagues.  We need to continue to do our best for those who have no voice.

Join your colleagues as we celebrate School Nursing.  Consider applying for a scholarship to the national conference.  Read the School Nurse Day Proclamation issued by Governor Charlie Christ.  And make the words of our Legislative Chair, Mary Jackman, your own: