Physical Health

Exercise via physical education and recess helps students to function even better in the classroom. A good cardiovascular system developed from regular exercise promotes excellent blood and oxygen circulation. This allows more nutrients to circulate throughout the body, most importantly the brain. This circulation produces a longer attention span during classes resulting in longer concentration and absorption. In addition to improved academic performance, daily recess and physical education classes are essential to the healthy development of children and adolescents and is an important component with regard to reducing obesity and other diseases related to lack of exercise.

Aside from home, school represents the second most influential environment in a child's life. As more students enter school with health problems, it is a challenge to manage their care throughout the school day. The school nurse is the health care representative on site.  A thorough understanding of the school nurse's role is essential to ensure coordinated care. There is an undisputable relationship between health and learning, and there is also a connection between school nurse availability, student well-being and educational success.

The role of the school nurse encompasses both health and educational goals. Students today may face family crises, homelessness, immigration, poverty, and violence, which increase their physical needs. School nurses perform a critical role within the school setting by addressing the major health problems experienced by children.

School health services are essential in providing emergency care for illness or injury while at school.  Health services in school ensure that all students get appropriate referrals to health care providers (vision, dental, mental health, etc.).  In addition, these services help to monitor for and control the spread of communicable disease, provide education and counseling in a variety of health and wellness topics and serve as a medical resource in the development of policies and procedures in the school.  These services are designed to improve the health and well-being of children and in some cases whole families.  They are intended to minimize health barriers to learning for school age children.

UNSPECIFIED. (2009). The Health and Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation 2007. Project Report. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.

Marx, E. and Wooley, S.F. (Eds.) (1998). Health Is Academic: A Guide to Coordinated School Health Programs (p.4). New York, N.Y.: Teachers College Press.

Allensworth, D., Lawson, L., Nicholson, L., and Wyche. J. (Eds.). (1997). School & Health: Our Nation’s Investment (p. 226). National Academy Press: Washington, D.C.