[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 77 (Monday, May 16, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E710]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING GUAM DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SCHOOL NURSES

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 16, 2016

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate 
nurses and school nurse support staff of the Guam Department of 
Education (GDOE) in honor of the 2016 National School Nurses Day. There 
are currently 44 Registered Nurses and 3 Licensed Practical Nurses 
serving the students of the Guam Department of Education. These nurses 
take on the daunting task of caring for the Guam Department of 
Education's more than 30,000 students and nearly 4,000 employees of the 
Guam Department of Education. These school nurses work day in and day 
out to remove the barriers to learning and ensure the health of our 
island's children.
  Guam Department of Education nurses join the National Association of 
School Nurses in celebrating the theme of this year's School Nurses 
Day: Better Health; Better Learning. They also join the American Nurses 
Association in celebrating the 2016 Nurses Week: Culture of Safety; It 
Starts With You! GDOE nurses have chosen to celebrate National School 
Nurses Day by teaching students how to conduct hands only CPR.
  Every year the GDOE nurses serve a critical role in providing a safe 
and healthy learning environment for students throughout Guam's public 
elementary, middle, and high schools. GDOE nurses provide frontline, 
critical care for the most fragile children in our community and are 
members of health teams that support both educational and response 
initiatives dedicated to improving public health. Additionally, school 
nurses are liaisons to the school administrators, parents and 
healthcare providers when it comes to attending to the physical health 
of our island's students.
  Every school year is different and challenging for the GDOE nurses. 
In April, the school nurses received a call from the Department of 
Public Health and Social Services asking them to administer 5,000 doses 
of TB skin test solution to GDOE students and staff who need updates. 
The school nurses embraced the challenge and were able to host TB 
clinics in almost every GDOE school for students and staff. Despite 
these challenges, our island's school nurses have responded to these 
needs with professionalism and passion for the school communities they 
serve.
  I commend and congratulate nurses and school nurse support staff of 
the Guam Department of Education (GDOE) as they celebrate the 2016 
National School Nurses Day and on a successful school year. I join the 
people of Guam in expressing our appreciation for their contributions 
to Guam's school communities.

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