Mr. Zizza, Your editorial from the newspaper in Maine has triggered annoyance about your ignorance of our profession. School Nursing is a professional position in the schools which enhances the ability of ALL children and adolescents to learn. School nursing is a diverse profession that affects children's health, wellness, and illnesses. They touch lives in big and small ways--from the simple act of an assessment requiring a bandaid to the complexities of inhalers, ventilators, tube feedings, insulin administration, seizure monitoring---oh my!! etc. School Nursing is a multifaceted specialty practice involved in all aspects of children's educational experiences as well as the student's family, health care and the community.

I invite you to explore the web for the role of National Association School Nurses www.nasn.org, or perhaps the Maine School Nurses Association, or Tennessee School Nurses Association or National Education Association, or just "google" the word "School Nurse" to become enlightened. As a school nurse I must salute Rep. Eric Swafford for his forward thinking about the future of all children's health and welfare. You may wish to visit a school nurse in your community to observe the activities of her health office. Perhaps you can also thank a school nurse for assessing children's abilities to see and hear along with many other preventive measures. School nurses help students integrate healthy behaviors and maintaining optimal health status directly influences the quality of lives.

Jeanne Kiefner

Jeanne Kiefner RN MEd FNASN
Cherry Hill, New Jersey