Vienna Invests in Health: More "School Nurses" Starting School Year 2025/2026

Because the pilot project of "School Nurses" in Vienna's schools was such a great success, their deployment will be expanded from the upcoming school year 2025/2026. The locations with particularly high demand were identified with experts, as Deputy Mayor and City Councillor for Education Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS) and City Councillor for Health Peter Hacker (SPÖ) announced.

So far, "School Nurses" at six schools in Vienna have taken care of every health issue of children and adolescents - from emergencies to chronic illnesses to prevention. "'School Nurses' are so important to us because they equally relieve children, parents, and educators in everyday school life," said Wiederkehr. Parents had fewer worries about their children's health when the child was at school. For working moms and dads, it meant an enormous burden when the child had to be sent home due to impairments. Thus, the deployment of "School Nurses" also reduced the absenteeism of students, as shown by the scientific evaluation by MedUni Vienna conducted by Hans-Peter Hutter and Lisbeth Weitensfelder.

School Nurses in Vienna: Demand Higher in Primary Schools than in Middle Schools

Together with experts from the Vienna Education Directorate, additional school locations were identified in 14 districts, which are increasingly attended by children and adolescents with chronic illnesses such as asthma or diabetes. It was found that the need for care is higher in primary schools than in middle schools. Of the 27 school locations, 17 are primary schools, eight are special schools, and two are middle schools. The total cost of this initial rollout amounts to three to four million euros.

"It's not just about medical support in acute emergencies, but also very much about preventive work, which is urgently needed in view of increased psychosocial problem situations and little health behavior - keyword lack of exercise and unhealthy diet," said preventive medicine specialist Hutter. In every respect, the project is a "prime example of preventive care work and a win-win-win situation for all involved."

Relief Also for Educational Staff

A survey by MedUni Vienna among more than 2,800 children, parents, and teachers showed that students find it less uncomfortable to talk about their health concerns and therefore seek out a "School Nurse." From the perspective of educators, "School Nurses" comparatively pay more attention to the health of the children. The organizational effort for the teachers was low. On the contrary, they were relieved, as interventions in cases of illness or injury were taken over by the "School Nurse," allowing them to continue focusing on their class. Especially chronically ill children benefited from the deployment of health care professionals, as they could participate in school trips or school weeks, which was often not the case before.

The most common tasks of the "School Nurses" were emergencies or first aid (85 percent), care for chronic illnesses (48 percent), and psychological issues such as anxiety or inappropriate social behavior (31 percent). The difference from the school doctor is the daily presence in educational institutions, while school doctors only visit schools occasionally, said "School Nurse" Franziska Rumpf.

"The goal is to improve the healthcare of our children in the area where they spend most of their time: at school. The scientific evaluation was clear, as the project was perceived very positively by all involved groups. Parents have fewer worries, children feel better cared for, and teachers can focus more on their actual work," said Health Councilor Hacker. By expanding the "School Nurses," a "new professional profile is being created that acts as a bridge between the health and education systems." Wiederkehr also spoke of a "flagship project for Vienna's schools."

"School Nurse": Basic Requirement is "Many Years of Clinical Experience"

The basic requirement to be employed as a "School Nurse," according to Hacker, is "many years of clinical experience." The aim is to attract qualified nursing staff who, in the past ten to fifteen years of their professional activity, are looking for a change of scenery.

The Greens Vienna welcomed the expansion in a statement. "We have long pushed for this and waited a long time, now finally more 'School Nurses' are coming to Vienna's schools," said the chairwoman of the Greens Vienna, Judith Pühringer, and health spokesperson Barbara Huemer, who demanded significantly more "School Nurses" in a press conference in mid-February.

The Austrian Health and Nursing Association (ÖGKV) also sees the current development as an important success for healthcare in schools. "School Nurses" play an essential role in the health and psychosocial care of students and should not exist only as a temporary project. "The presence of School Nurses in schools is a significant contribution to health promotion and prevention. They are the first point of contact for health concerns and promote health literacy," emphasized ÖGKV President Elisabeth Potzmann.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.