Some state lawmakers are looking to reduce the number of requirements needed to become a school nurse.
A new bill in the statehouse would roll back a set of requirements for school nurses that went into effect in 2016. Those requirements include having a bachelor’s degree and at least 3 years of experience in pediatric nursing.
Under the new bill, the only requirements would be that the applicant is a registered nurse in the state and is approved by the local school board.
Republican state representative Carol McGuire is one of the sponsors of the bill.
“There’s certainly no denying that many of the requirements would be nice to have. However, I can’t believe that they are necessary for all school nurses.”
The new requirements faced pushback from some large school districts last year who said they make it harder to hire nurses.