The California Supreme Court’s decision to allow schools to give students insulin injections and other medications without the supervision of licensed healthcare providers is a step backward for our children’s health and safety and sets a dangerous precedent for children in the rest of the country.
Nursing in this country is regulated for a reason. Insulin and other prescribed medications can be serious and even life-threatening if not administered correctly. Unlicensed healthcare providers simply do not have the same education, qualifications, and responsibilities that licensed professionals possess. As nurses and patient advocates, we are opposed to the Court’s ruling because it places children – among the most vulnerable of our patient population – in harm’s way by lowering the standards for the care that they are entitled to receive.
Cutbacks in education have already reduced staffing in our schools. Our children do not deserve yet another erosion. Children deserve quality care from licensed healthcare providers. Parents deserve to rest assured that their children will receive the care they need while at school. The public deserve to know that their tax dollars will be spent on education, not on litigation in the event of an error that could result in a terrible tragedy. Unlicensed school personnel deserve to do the jobs they were hired to do; asking them to assume the responsibilities of licensed healthcare professionals is unfair.
We believe that the Court’s decision to weaken existing standards will have the unintended consequence of putting even more children at risk – especially the poor, minorities, and the disenfranchised. As nurses, parents, and citizens, we have a duty to provide the highest standard to all children. Sadly, this short-sighted ruling takes us in another direction entirely.
–Ingela Dahlgren, RN, and Executive Director, SEIU Nurse Alliance of California
