EDINBURG, Texas — While the Rio Grande Valley is experiencing a nurse and doctor shortage to treat COVID-19 patients, school districts in the RGV said they have a more than adequate nursing staff.
Edinburg CISD Director of Health Services Diana Davila explains how they are meeting the healthcare needs of its students. Since starting virtual learning earlier this year, the district has continued to make its nurse services available to students.
“They can access the school nurse by calling,” said Davila. “Some of our schools have also started a Google classroom and we have a Google clinic.”
“So our nurses are putting out information for students and different topics on wellness, how to exercise and stay safe during these times”
Schools are not required by law to have a nurse, and across the country, according to the National School Nurse Association, there is a school nurse shortage.
But Edinburg has more than enough.
“All of our elementary schools have one registered nurse and a licensed vocational nurse,” Davila said “We have two registered nurses at every high school.”
The district does not know when it will reopen for in-person classes, but Davila says they have devised a plan to keep the students safer when seeking care.
“They’re going to be going to the classrooms directly so we can keep the children together in their classroom and not be moving them all over the school,” she explained.
School districts such as McAllen ISD, PSJA ISD and Donna CISD. KVEO reached out to those districts and confirmed they are in a good position, with no shortage of school nurses.
In fact, Edinburg CISD said there are registered nurses waiting to apply if positions open up.
In addition to the designated nurses at each school, the district employs four roving nurses in the case a campus needs extra assistance.
