Not enough school nurses in Corfu schools
school nurses
16 Sep 2022
/ 18:10
CORFU. Although recruitments were made on time, not all vacancies were filled.
Some schools in Corfu and Paxos are facing problems in staffing with school nurses in order to support pupils suffering from diabetes or other diseases (epilepsy, allergies, etc.) that need immediate treatment by a health professional. Although they were recruited in time this year, there are still vacancies that were either not filled from the start or arose later.
According to the Corfu Primary Education Department, of the 14 school nurses requested to meet the needs of nursery and primary schools, only 11 were actually recruited, of which, however, two resigned.
Nine school nurses are not enough to cover all the requests, as the children they have to support are in different schools that are not close to each other. The Primary Education Department has already asked for the immediate filling of the two positions that arose after the resignations, while they are waiting for the substitute school nurses to fill all the positions requested from the beginning.
It is important, however, that there is interest shown from nurses. They are recruited as substitutes in schools for a specific period, but most of them are looking for a more permanent position in health care structures.
"Recruitments were made but not all vacancies were filled. Since in some schools there is no school nurse to provide the required medical care, the smooth attendance of students is prevented", said the Ionian Islands Support Staff Association President Yiannis Gouthas.
1 vacant position in Secondary Education Department
As for the Corfu Secondary Education Department, the requests for school nurses were two. The recruitments were made on time, however the substitute who was to be placed in Paxos resigned and now only the Mantouki Vocational High School is staffed.
Duties
The primary teachers' union (SEPE) highlighted the issue a few days ago, calling for, amongst other things, the recruitment of permanent school nurses in every school that will be linked to a fully staffed and upgraded primary health care system.
School nurses currently support special education schools, as well as general schools at the request of a parent with a doctor's opinion from a public hospital.
In addition to meeting the needs of the supported pupils, their duties include the provision of first aid to all pupils, the implementation of health promotion programmes, monitoring the pupil's health etc. Both school nurses and special auxiliary staff must support all pupils of the school to which they are assigned and if there is another school there, then they are required to support its pupils as well.
According to the Corfu Primary Education Department, of the 14 school nurses requested to meet the needs of nursery and primary schools, only 11 were actually recruited, of which, however, two resigned.
Nine school nurses are not enough to cover all the requests, as the children they have to support are in different schools that are not close to each other. The Primary Education Department has already asked for the immediate filling of the two positions that arose after the resignations, while they are waiting for the substitute school nurses to fill all the positions requested from the beginning.
It is important, however, that there is interest shown from nurses. They are recruited as substitutes in schools for a specific period, but most of them are looking for a more permanent position in health care structures.
"Recruitments were made but not all vacancies were filled. Since in some schools there is no school nurse to provide the required medical care, the smooth attendance of students is prevented", said the Ionian Islands Support Staff Association President Yiannis Gouthas.
1 vacant position in Secondary Education Department
As for the Corfu Secondary Education Department, the requests for school nurses were two. The recruitments were made on time, however the substitute who was to be placed in Paxos resigned and now only the Mantouki Vocational High School is staffed.
Duties
The primary teachers' union (SEPE) highlighted the issue a few days ago, calling for, amongst other things, the recruitment of permanent school nurses in every school that will be linked to a fully staffed and upgraded primary health care system.
School nurses currently support special education schools, as well as general schools at the request of a parent with a doctor's opinion from a public hospital.
In addition to meeting the needs of the supported pupils, their duties include the provision of first aid to all pupils, the implementation of health promotion programmes, monitoring the pupil's health etc. Both school nurses and special auxiliary staff must support all pupils of the school to which they are assigned and if there is another school there, then they are required to support its pupils as well.
