Polk County Schools are taking time Wednesday to celebrate National School Nurse Day as a way to foster an understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting.

School nurses lead the way to advance health and support education by ensuring that students are healthy, safe and ready to learn. They provide health services that increase school attendance; administer specialized services to students such as medications and management of chronic health care needs such as diabetes, asthma, seizures and severe allergic reactions; act as a resource in the prevention and control of communicable diseases; screen and make referrals for mental health concerns, medical and dental conditions, vision, and hearing; and educate students and staff on managing their own health and wellness.

Nurses do this all in an effort to keep children safe, healthy and ready to learn.

Submitted by PolkStudents.com