Over the course of a day as a school nurse at New Orleans Science and Math Charter Academy, Renette Jones might see students with headaches or stomach aches, give some COVID tests — even help a student manage their diabetes.
School nurses are typically limited to monitoring symptoms and calling a parent if a child should head home. But at Sci High, Jones acts as a bridge between students and the campus’ School-Based Health Center, a state-sponsored initiative that pairs health organizations with schools to provide medical care to students on campus. The Health Center at Sci High is the only one of its kind in New Orleans. More