By Donna Rehm, School Nurse in Orland Park 135

The AFT School Nurse Leadership Development Conference was held in Orlando, FL. from January 29th-January 31st. The conference was lead by Joni Ketter, Assistant Director of AFT Healthcare. An overview of the history and organizational structure of the AFT was presented. I had met several members of the AFT governance structure over the years, and this overview helped me to place each in their respective divisions. AFT has a proud history and has shown an enormous support for school health services.

Around the country, including in Illinois, legislation continues to pop up regarding the care of students with diabetes and epilepsy in our schools. This legislation is fashioned to require districts to create teams of volunteers (teachers, secretaries, bus drivers, or whoever) to care for these students instead of school health service personnel. This legislation would require team members to provide both routine and emergency care. This would include being able to master and deliver a multi-step system of injectable Glucagon® or insert rectal Diastat® medication during an emergeny, life-threatening crisis situation.

AFT strongly believes that for the safety of our students, school health service personnel should be the standard of care for the delivery of treatment to students with diabetes or epilepsy. “The use of trained diabetes or epilepsy personnel in schools is potentially a liability for the school district that employs them.” A great deal of the conference time was devoted to training related to the importance of addressing the media and speaking to the public on behalf of these issues.

Attending these conferences has helped me to network with school health personnel from all over the country. With the help of the AFT, these members have successfully battled diabetes and Diastat® legislation, and have survived potential job cuts. We must use the AFT and these members’ strategies as our models when facing similar tribulations. Please feel free to contact me as a representative of Local 943 if you have any questions/problems related to school health services within your district.

(708) 364-4405 or drehm@orland135.org

  AFT Local 943
  15521 South 70th Court
  Orland Park, Illinois 60462
  (708) 633-0943
  (708) 633-0944 (Fax)

  Kathy Setlak, president

  IFT Field Staff
  Tonia Havard-Dew                           Deneen Pajeau