Wake County Schools sees fewer nurse vacancies to start 2023-24 school year compared to last year

School nurses working for the Wake County Public School System typically serve two to three schools.

However, when students start the school year on Monday, there will be more nurses on duty in the district than last year.

Wake County has 109 school nurse positions and five job vacancies. Last year at this time, 27 positions went unfilled.

“we’re looking really good right now in terms of staffing,” said Wake County Schools Health Program Manager Julie Doyle. “We’re excited the nurses are back and ready to roll.”

Nurse Melissa Lassen leads the team of nurses caring for students in Chatham County Schools.

“We’re seeing more students come to school that have more complex medical needs, and I think that’s changed the role of a school nurse,” Lassen said.

Chatham County Schools is fully staffed with 11 school nurses.

“We’re seeing more students come to school that have more complex medical needs, and I think that’s changed the role of a school nurse,” Lassen said.

Most school systems in the Triangle are starting off the new school year with more nurses on staff after struggling to hire during the pandemic.

“The last couple years, it’s been difficult recruiting nurses,” Doyle said. “A lot of nurses either left the workforce during or after COVID.”

Doyle explained how every school in the district has a nurse, but students may not see the nurse each day of the week.

It’s because Wake County uses a delegation model - where nurses train school staff to provide basic medical care.

“It allows a nurse to be able to be in one school, but the other school is functioning perfectly well while the nurse isn’t there,” Doyle said.

Wake County is offering school nurses a $5,000 sign-on bonus, paid out over two years on the job.

Durham County Public Health is responsible for hiring 20 of the 22 school nurse vacancies. Durham County is offering a $6,000 bonus over two years.