ARCHS has partnered with area school nurses over the years to promote a variety of healthcare programs. Currently, the Kids Vision for Life-St. Louis program works with school nurses to provide vision screenings that benefit thousands of area students. Missouri KIDS COUNT®, has authored a series of feature stories that recognize the hard work and dedication of school nurses and their efforts to keep our children, schools, and communities healthy. ARCHS serves as St. Louis' KIDS COUNT® partner.
These articles address the chronicity of the conditions that school nurses address in the school setting. Where many nurses work in settings such as hospitals, clinics, or nursing homes, and among colleagues providing peer support and consultation, the school nurse is often the only health professional in the school setting.
School nurses represent a unique nursing discipline requiring care and support for a wide range of children - from those with medically complex and chronic diseases to fully healthy children - all set in a non-healthcare environment.