FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - You know your child’s teacher and principal, but there’s another professional at school who can significantly impact your child’s education. Research shows that healthy children learn faster and participate more fully in school, say University of Arkansas experts - which means school nurses serve as a vital link between strong bodies and strong minds.

"Children are just like anyone else - when they’re struggling with sickness or discomfort or hunger, they have trouble concentrating, and that can affect their performance at school," said Marianne Neighbors, professor of nursing. "Teachers or secretaries may see a sick child and call the parents to take the child home. But school nurses can assess a student’s health and may be able to apply short-term interventions that keep that child in the classroom and learning."

In addition to providing basic first aid and performing mandated state screening - for vision, hearing and scoliosis - school nurses can offer a variety of services to individual students and families, including signing them up for health coverage through the state ARKids First program.

Advances in medical care and in social awareness about diseases and disabilities have resulted in a greater number of children with chronic health conditions participating in mainstream classrooms. School nurses help facilitate that participation by managing the administration of medication, monitoring a child’s overall health and providing special care when necessary.

Asthma, diabetes and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are common, chronic health issues that school nurses can help children manage. Although parents work with family physicians to monitor these conditions, they should also collaborate with their child’s school nurse to ensure appropriate, continuous care through the school day, said Neighbors and her colleague Kathleen Barta.

"You can schedule a conference with the school nurse just as you would with your child’s teacher," said Barta, an associate professor of nursing.

Parents can make an individualized educational plan for a student with special academic needs, but they can also make an individualized health plan, Barta said.

"An IHP allows parents and school nurses to negotiate the services that will be available to a child during the school day," she explained. "It’s not usually necessary for short-term problems like infections, but in cases of chronic conditions, it can help both students and nurses manage health needs and prepare for unseen circumstances."

In addition to working with parents, nurses can collaborate with other school officials on behalf of a student’s health. They can arrange for teachers to administer medicine during field trips, and they can work with the school’s dietician to provide healthy meals for children struggling with diabetes or obesity.

"The key is to get to know the school nurse and inform him or her of your child’s needs. Also, be aware of the nurse’s schedule. Not every school has a nurse on site all day, every day," Neighbors said.

The Arkansas legislature mandates that school districts maintain one licensed nurse for every 1000 students. Small schools often share a nurse with several other campuses in the district. As a result, a nurse may spend certain days each week at your child’s school, or certain hours each day. Parents can obtain information about a nurse’s schedule from the school or district offices.

While it’s important for parents to inform school nurses about their individual student’s needs, nurses should also be viewed as a valuable source of information about health in general. Neighbors and Barta encourage parents to invite school nurses to PTA meetings, where they can present information about health education and promotion and discuss factors that contribute to a healthy learning environment.

Parents who are particularly interested in health issues in education may choose to volunteer on their school’s health advisory board or may become advocates for more comprehensive health services in schools.

"Our state is making strides toward ensuring that school nurses get the resources they need, but there’s a long way to go, and it never hurts for parents to get involved in an issue that affects their child’s education," Barta said. "The good news is that people are beginning to recognize the connection between health and education."