26.10.15

Your tax dollars at work

Sixteen million children (21%) live without consistent access to food.  That is a staggering number. And yet...there's this: the state's vision screening requirements in California changed recently, requiring both near and far vision screening for Kindergarten, 2nd, 5th, and 8th grades. Once you screen near vision, it is either a problem or not, and it is ineffective and a waste of resources to continue to screen for it years down the road. Then why are we asking school nurses to screen for it in the later years? Because lobbyists. Seriously. Eye care specialists made sure this requirement passed, which results in increased referrals (i.e. money) for themselves, and more (unnecessary) work for school nurses. Where are our priorities?

5 comments:

  1. is it not possible for a child to develop eye problems as they grow? I know I was initially flag for nearsightedness in 7th grade but it was never a problem for me until about a year ago. I am guessing this is because my vision got worse.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. According to what we were taught in our vision class, future screenings for near vision after Kindergarten, before puberty are unnecessary...I didn't mean to imply that vision never changes.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Where have you been? I miss your posts!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Just found your blog over the weekend and binge-read every post! Obsessed! Hope you keep us updated, your job is amazing and your writing is entertaining! I'm 25, one year out of nursing school and searching for a school nurse position (I'm currently an OBGYN nurse/first assist, but school nursing is what I've always wanted to do!) xo

    ReplyDelete