Oregon schools face nursing shortage

[cougarnurse]

From KGW Channel 8: Oregon schools face nursing shortage | Local News | kgw.com | News for Oregon and SW Washington

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Oregon schools face a serious nursing shortage as more students develop chronic illnesses or conditions that require special medical attention, a state task force warns.
The state Task Force on School Nurses said only 12 percent of Oregon's school districts meet widely accepted national guidelines for school nurse staffing. Students in 54 districts do not have access to a school nurse at all.
The National Association of School Nurses ranks Oregon 49th among states and the District of Columbia for its low nurse-to-student ratio: 1 per 3,142 students. Only Utah and Michigan score worse, the National Association of School Nurses says. Top-ranked Vermont has one school nurse per 275 students.