The Nationwide Nurse Shortage Is Having an Impact on Lice Checks in Schools

Students of all ages do not want to come home from school bearing the news that lice was found in their hair. 

Similarly, parents of a student with lice will dread the ordeal of having to rid their child of lice. 

However, even worse than getting a lice diagnosis at school is having lice at school, with no nurse to diagnose it. 

This is a problem that is general across America, as there is a wide-ranging nurse shortage that is having a negative impact on the health of students around the United States. 

And one of the biggest issues that students are dealing with are lice outbreaks that go unnoticed and untreated for too long because of the lack of available nurses to employ at schools. 

Why Is There a Shortage of Nurses? 

There are many cited reasons for the nursing shortage. 

For one, a significant number of nurses feel that the work is high-stress and low pay, which leads to a high turnover rate. 

Another issue is just a rising demand for nurses, which comes with an aging population that enjoys greater life expectancies due to medical advances. 

The bright side of this is that the nursing field is going to enjoy steady job growth over the next decade, so anyone who is searching for a career in nursing is sure to find consistent employment. 

But one of the biggest downsides here is that lice infestations in schools will become more and more common. 

This is because the available nurses are going to be employed in hospitals where life-saving care is needed, rather than schools where lice cases need to be resolved. 

The Impact of Untreated Head Lice

However, though head lice may seem comparatively picayune compared to other medical issues and emergencies, there is still a large financial and social downside to untreated head lice. 

It is estimated that the United States spends half a billion dollars per year on treating head lice.

What this means is that families will have less money to invest in their children, which is a problem that is exacerbated when head lice is spread across an entire classroom because a school nurse was not in place. 

How Can a School Nurse Prevent and Mitigate Lice Shortages

Lice infestations can disrupt the school process and even end up with absences from school, which can set students behind in their education. 

This is especially the case when school administrations set up costly and time-intensive measures, such as no-lice forced absences and whole classroom screenings for head lice. 

With a school nurse, things can be back on track as soon as possible, so that no student falls behind because of head lice. 

School nurses can ensure that students are taking necessary prevention measures, such as not sharing hats or scarves. 

It also pays to have a nurse on call to immediately identify lice and take the necessary steps to treating it. This can mean that students may even be back at school the day of the detection. 

Head Lice Prevention and Treatment with Nitwits

Lice Clinics of America has successfully treated over 650,000 cases of head lice. The company has over 300 clinics in 35 countries, making it the world’s largest network of professional lice treatment centers. 

In Louisville, you can enjoy these great lice treatment services at Nitwits, 9302 New LaGrange Road, Unit-H. Stop by or give us a call at (502) 804-5423. Or, you can contact us on our website, as we offer TeleHealth appointments where you can get the diagnosis and treatment you need from the comfort of your own home!