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| Health-care professionals getting involved Strategies abound at NYSUT conference 
May 5, 2004 Right: From left, Kathy Distin, Tricia Vivlamore of the Fulton TA, and NYSUT First Vice President Antonia Cortese. Sick children often do not understand what is happening to their bodies. They may misunderstand medical terms and feel a lack of control. There are responses hospital and school nurses can take to empower these children, according to Rudy Nydegger, a clinical psychologist and presenter at the New York State United Teachers Professional Issues Forum on Health Care. "Our society doesn't prepare people well for things like illness or death," Nydegger said. The professionals who treat these people are often frustrated with the illness, and can be hesitant about how involved to get and remain professional. Yes, you must protect yourself — and yet you still have to be emotionally connected, the past president of the New York State Psychological Association told the Albany forum. The conference attracted 140 participants who do a variety of jobs — school nurses, registered nurses, therapists, psychologists, clinicians and technicians. "People get fearful of being open and vulnerable," said Nydegger, who gave teachers and health practioners tips on empowering patients:
Nurse Helen Coye, a member of the Albany Public Schools Teachers Association, said more students today are sick as she recounted dealing with feeding tubes and heavily medicated students. Budget cuts in other areas and the inclusion of special needs children have changed the student population and its medical needs. Empowerment Picking up on Nydegger's suggestions, Coye said sick students can be empowered by being allowed to change the time they get their medication at the nurse's office or by changing a diabetic snack to another kind of food. Coye also works to empower parents. "I might tell them, 'Call me in the morning and let's decide together' whether or not he should come to school," she said. "To be open and affirming makes a more positive and accepting environment." That environment is important as school staff deal with what presenter and school psychologist John Kelly calls "a new normal," borrowing a phrase from a student. That means living with the domestic threat of terrorists, drills for armed intruders and biological agents, 24-7 news coverage and uncensored material on the Internet, said Kelly of the Commack TA. Health care workers can join teachers to look for signs of stress in students, including acting out, depression, poor performance and sleep disturbances. Activities and environmental influence can help students become resilient, Kelly said. Providing them with skills and communication for problem solving, as well as positive self views, shores up their confidence. Making sure each school has intervention strategies to help children process trauma is important. Linda Wetzel, a middle school nurse from the Town of Highland Falls TA , near West Point, said many students are affected by the number of civilian and military parents being called to duty in Iraq . As a nurse, she teams with the school social worker and guidance counselor to help students. NYSUT First Vice President Antonia Cortese told the audience that New York state will be losing 38,000 nurses during the next five years. "We know it, and now we have to convince the Legislature," she said, urging health care professionals to lobby, contact their representatives and get active in the November presidential election. Health jobs are not immune to outsourcing, said Mary MacDonald of American Federation of Teachers Healthcare: Radiology work is being sent to India via computer for cheap labor costs in that country. - Liza Frenette |
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