Winston-Salem school nurse says staffing shortages continue to rise

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Across North Carolina, schools continue to struggle with staffing shortages — from teachers and cafeteria workers to bus drivers and school nurses. Stephanie Smith, a school nurse at Carver High School in Winston-Salem, has experienced those shortages firsthand.

Smith began her career in public health, but after having her first child, she switched paths.

“A school nurse position came available the summer before he started kindergarten, and that seemed like a fantastic fit,” Smith said. “I really enjoyed working with kids. I had been previously working with first-time moms and babies and really enjoyed that population of like young kids.”

She’s been working as a school nurse for 15 years, but she says staffing challenges have changed the way she works.

“We have had some increase in positions available, but not necessarily an equal increase in staffing for those positions,” Smith said. “Some years there’s no increase in positions and we have turnover in staff.”

When she started at Carver, Smith was full time at the school. Now, she splits her time between two schools.

“We had a significant amount of assignment changes and needs for schools like new schools being built, additional schools being built, and need for more school nurses,” Smith said.

Smith says part of the demand comes from the rise in chronic health conditions among students.

“The national standard is for there to be one school nurse in every school, and that doesn’t exist in this county,” Smith said.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction reports the state’s teacher attrition rate during the 2023-24 school year was 9.88%. That’s down from 11.5% the year before, but still above the seven-year average of 8.64%.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Mo Green has pushed for higher teacher pay as part of his legislative agenda.

As of April, the state reported an average starting teacher salary of just under $43,000, ranking North Carolina 39th in the country. The average teacher salary is just over $58,000, ranking 43rd in the nation.

Smith says the pay challenges aren’t limited to teachers.

“There is a significant difference in what nurses specifically are paid as school nurses versus as nurses in the private sector or in some other areas of public sector,” Smith said.

The shortages have sometimes forced teachers to step into roles outside of the classroom.

“I’m sure it is defeating and disappointing for them because they would love to be able to focus their time and energy on their teaching and helping these kids learn and grow,” Smith said.

Even with the challenges, Smith says she finds the work fulfilling.

“The passion for me is being able to see the difference that I can make, not just in one day and one visit with the student, but across their entire lifetime,” Smith said.