"The nurse's office is the place to come," says Foley, the district's supervising nurse. "We have an open door policy for children, teachers, professionals and parents."
In the busy Elmont schools, the school nurse receives numerous phone calls a day and treats many children, from applying Band-Aids to handling more serious problems.
Elmont's school nurses are very visible in their schools, interacting on a daily basis with special education teachers, psychologists and social workers, and visiting classrooms to speak to children about good health practices.
Foley said the Elmont School District has supported its nurses in their efforts to expand their position. They have worked with the district to adjust their job description, giving them the opportunity to become advocates in the community. The nurses have upgraded the forms they use in their offices and are in the process of making them available online. The district, too, has supported the nurses by providing staff development, helping them cope with the physical, emotional and psychological aspects of their job, and encouraging them to use their creativity.
Cooper, for example, brought the Clorox Foundation's Good Hands Washing program to kindergartners at Alden Terrace School. Foley attended a conference on epilepsy and continues to use the Open Airways program with Covert Avenue School children who suffer from asthma. She developed a PowerPoint presentation, which children with asthma can view independently and learn how to cope with this health issue.
