Our action plan for HB No. 1896 included contacting the legislators who supported the bill, contacting possible supporters of the bill, keeping our blog updated on changes of the bill, interviewing a school nurse in the Waynesboro Public School District, and actively responding to comments on our blog.
For our first plan of action, we contacted Delegate Lionell Spruill, Sr. and Delegate Rosalyn Dance. Delegate Spruill's Chief of Staff, Susan Johnston Rowland, responded by thanking us for our interest in the bill and stating that the bill will not come back into session unless reintroduced in 2012. We have not yet received a response from Delegate Dance.
The possible supporters of the bill we chose to contact were Delegate Mark Obenshain, Delegate Robert D. Orrock, Sr, and Delegate R. Steven Landes. Delegate Obenshain responded by expressing his support for increasing opportunities of nurses in more rural areas of Virginia, and by thanking us for providing him with additional information about the legislation on school nurse to student ratios. Delegate Landes responded by reaffirming the importance of reducing the ratio for the benefit of student care, but with concern that government funding is necessary for this change to be initiated. We have not yet received a response from Delegate Orrock.
We have been following our bill closely but have not yet seen any updates for the 2012 session. We plan to continue to check the status of the bill for future changes as the Spring session approaches.
We spoke with a school nurse at William Perry Elementary School for our key informant interview. From her, we learned vital information about the services school nurses provide, many of which are much more advanced than first aid and wound care. She believes that decreasing the ratio would make her care more efficient and that an increase in hiring registered school nurses would help to provide high quality services to students and attend to the increased need for health services.
We have responded to any key concerns and comments posted on our blog thus far. This is not only enhancing our knowledge about the subject at hand, but also providing information to our peers about updates on the status of HB No. 1896.
In reflecting on our experience, we have gained understanding of the need for public health awareness in schools and across the nursing spectrum. Nursing is not just a profession found in hospitals, but throughout the community, even in rural areas. Increasing this awareness is necessary to provide the high quality care that students with developmental delays, special needs, and advanced medication requirements call for. By becoming familiar with public health policy and potential changes that could influence health care, nurses are more likely to take action to modify health services that may not be adequate. We hope to see HB No. 1896 reintroduced in the 2012 session and that changes are brought about in the near future.
