Commentary by Kathy L. Reiner, MPH, BSN, AE-C, FNASN, HealthySchools Network Board Member
Heat waves, heat domes, heat islands—the vocabulary for extreme heat events is ever expanding and so are school nurses’ concerns. 2023 was the hottest year globally since records began and this is a trend that is expected to continue in response to climate change. At the National Association of School Nurses annual conference this summer, I met with a group of school nurses to share knowledge and our experiences and to discuss solutions to extreme heat effects on students’ health and learning. These effects are magnified in children, who have less effective thermoregulation than adults and may rely on us to provide protection from extreme heat (such as increased water intake, playing in the shade, or coming into a cool environment). Heat-related effects include heat exhaustion and heatstroke, headaches, increased allergic reactions, decreased academic performance, and decreased mental well-being
Our experiences included supporting a school community through an urban heat island event that saw increased numbers of students and staff visiting the school health office with headaches, nausea, burns from hot playground equipment, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. Our solutions centered on recognizing that school nurses are ideally situated in schools tohelp prevent and respond to heat-related illnesses. We educate staff and students about the risks of extreme heat and how to recognize and respond to a heat-related illness. Our group of nurses keep data on the number of students and staff who visit the school health office with apparent heat-related illness and share this information with school leaders and others. We work within our school communities to
- Address extreme heat as part of their school emergency operations plans
- Advocate for and support the many solutions thatthe education sector can implement:
- climate education, since we are morally obligated to prepare this generation to live and even thrive in a changing climate
- sustainable food use
- green schoolyards
- clean energy and transportation
- student-led climate campaigns and advocacy
Our NASN group acknowledged that climate change is happening and that while solutions are available and being implemented, everyone in our schools and communities must be involved if our children are to inherit a livable planet.
Kathy L. Reiner, MPH, BSN, AE-C, FNASN
Healthy Schools Network Board Member
Sources:
Abnett, K., & Withers, A. (2024, July 8).2024 could be world’s hottest year as June breaks records | reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/2024-could-be-worlds-hottest-year-june-breaks-records-2024-07-08/
Bloomberg, (2023-09-07) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-09-07/climate-change-dictionary-how-to-describe-extreme-heat
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(2024, May 1). School preparedness. Centers for Disease Control andPrevention. https://www.cdc.gov/orr/school-preparedness/index.html
Huetteman, E. (2024, February 20). Heatwaves affect children more severely. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heat-waves-affect-children-more-severely
Ready-Extreme Heat https://www.ready.gov/heat
