by Laura Fillenwarth, Writer & Policy Analyst
On April 15, eleven school nurses from across Illinois traveled with two HSC staff members to Springfield, IL to meet with their Senators and Representatives and advocate for healthy school environments.
The nurses gathered in the morning to discuss strategy in regards to relevant pieces of legislation. After lunch, the eleven school nurses visited the Illinois General Assembly and grabbed the attention of state Senator Mattie Hunter, who was interested in the nurses’ efforts. They met privately with Sen. Hunter about the many issues that schools face in supporting student health. The nurses also spoke with many other state senators as well as reporters from The Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, and NPR.School nurses are key advocates for school change and can play an important role in health promotion. By participating in school nurse advocacy day, nurses have the opportunity to advocate for primary prevention programs and services that save health care dollars and prevent chronic illness and disease. School nurses have a unique understanding of the school environment, and can be catalysts of change for a healthier school environment by sharing their experiences with elected officials.
Kudos to all of the nurses who participated in the 2010 School Nurse Advocacy Day.
To learn more about HSC's school nurse leadership initiatives, visit www.healthyschoolscampaign.org/schoolnurse.
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great job!
carolina sandoval RN MSN
school Nurse, in california
Posted by: carolina sandoval | May 18, 2010 at 10:58 AM