School nursing is alive and well in Kalamazoo, thanks to Nazareth College nursing students

Kalamazoo, Michigan, public schools have not had nurses employed by the board of education for over a decade when nurses were cut from the school budget as an austerity measure. Approximately 26,000 school-age children live in Kalamazoo County, including a large inner-city, low-income population, many of whom have meager access to health care. Two part-time public health nurses provide consultation and limited direct services. Nazareth College's commitment to community service has resulted in the placement of nursing students in elementary school settings. The nursing faculty orients the students and takes responsibility for their experience. These students have planned and implemented health-promotion projects that have been well received. Suicide prevention, disaster response, nutrition, and personal hygiene are examples of topics. The challenge for school nursing is as great today as it was in 1902 when Lillian Wald first identified a need for school nurses. Through this program, the students are gaining rich experience, increased independence, and a sense of helping to meet a community need as they meet their own learning needs in community health nursing.