As school begins, nurses face high turnover and heightened student mental health needs

Tuesday is the first day of school for many students and school nurses in some areas of the state are facing pressures on staffing.

Tara Cliff, health services supervisor at Eastern Carver County schools, said that turnover has been a challenge for her district so she’s spending the start of the school year getting new nurses ready.

“I think I had eight staff members this school year starting out so making sure that they’re well-supported and trained coming into the job — that’s my primary focus here.”

Cliff said she’s also seeing more students with mental health concerns but stress and anxiety often manifest as physical symptoms first. Students come into her office with a stomachache or headache, which may indicate something else is going on.

Nurses, for that reason, are often at the front lines of picking up on what could be underlying indicators of mental health issues, she said.

It’s all part of what Cliff sees as her role: to help students be able to focus on learning by reducing barriers, whether they be mental or physical.

For more of the interview with Tara Cliff, click the play button on the player above.

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