​D-CHIPP advisory board member and DNP alumna Susan Little recently published an opinion editorial article entitled "In NC, School Nurses are Worth the Investment" in the Feb. 9 edition of the News and Observer.

I first started working as a public health nurse in 1996 in one of North Carolina’s coastal communities. I enjoyed occasionally working alongside school nurses providing immunizations to school-aged children. I was continually in awe of the positive impact school nurses have on the students’ health and their success at school. However, it was not until recently that I learned that having a full-time school nurse can deliver a 220 percent return on investment. I had never thought of a school nurse as a financial investment, but there it was right in front of me: for every dollar invested in school health nursing services, $2.20 is saved in related healthcare costs.

A new study recently released by the NC General Assembly’s Program Evaluation Division shared that the cost of filling the need for school nurses in North Carolina and reaching a more reasonable school nurse-to-student ratio could cost as much as $79 million a year. Many opponents of investing in school nurses believe that children’s healthcare needs are met by having a medical home and pediatrician that the child regularly visits. (Read full article here)