District nurse outlines scope of school nursing, flags rising chronic and mental-health needs

Nicole Edwards, the new district nurse for ISD 318, told the Grand Rapids Public School District board that school nurses provide daily care, manage chronic conditions and act as frontline responders for students’ physical and mental-health needs.

Edwards said the district currently has 10 full-time nursing positions — “6 registered nurses, 3 licensed practical nurses, and then, myself as the LSN” — and that total student enrollment the nurses serve was 3,936 when she last checked. She described a broad range of duties: administering prescribed and over-the-counter medications, managing insulin pumps and tube feedings, creating individualized health plans, and monitoring communicable diseases to ensure compliance with state laws and regulations.

“School health services play an integral role in the health of students by addressing social determinants of health,” Edwards said. She reported that, as of April 9, the district had completed 3,525 vision screenings (397…