In response to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, most states in the United States enacted statewide school closures, ranging in duration from 1 month to the remainder of the academic year. The extended durations of these closures present unique challenges, as many families rely on the school as a source of physical activity, mental health services, psychosocial support, child care, and food security. While the school doors may be closed, the school nurse can still play a vital role in emergency management. This article discusses challenges and proposes solutions to maintaining student health and wellness during extended school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, it is inevitable that until a vaccine for coronavirus is developed and readily available, many schools will continue to see future closures, though likely for shorter periods of time, as they respond to local outbreaks.
In the midst of our nation’s growing primary care provider shortage and subsequent overutilization of the emergency room (ER), urgent care centers represent an accessible, convenient, and affordable alternative for the management of “urgencies” or nonemergent illnesses and injuries. Despite the presence of competent healthcare providers and a wide array of services at urgent care centers, patients continue to pursue care in the ER for urgencies. School nurses may utilize urgent care centers for the evaluation and management of students with nonemergent medical or traumatic chief complaints. This article discusses the field of urgent care medicine, describes the pediatric services provided at urgent care centers, and summarizes the capabilities of centers to deal with potential urgencies versus emergencies in children and adolescents based on their chief complaint.
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