This post was originally published on Afro
By Alexis Taylor
School systems across the country are still struggling to return to normal life, even as the omicron variant of the coronavirus threatens progress made in the last 21 months.
Enrollment trends are down, teachers are resigning instead of getting vaccinated and bus driver shortages are hindering efforts to get students back into the classroom.
Now, officials from the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) are sounding the alarm and calling all qualified candidates to step up for students who depend on school nurses for everyday medical needs.
“There’s a general shortage in nursing, which has been ongoing for several years and sort of hit its peak during COVID,” said BCHD’s Assistant Commissioner for the Bureau of School Health, Francine Childs. “Not just here in Maryland, but nationwide, we see that there aren’t sufficient nurses to provide the services that children need.”