By Janine DavisRecord Staff WriterAs R-III students leave for school each day, more than 200 will make a detour from classes and activities to the nurse’s office for ailments from cold symptoms to asthma, according to a recent report from the school nursing staff.District nurses delivered a state-of-student health report to the board of education during the November meeting that showed what many would consider a surprising number of daily medical needs.Highlights of the report included data from all five building nurses:Daniel Boone Elementary (456 enrolled students): Average daily visits to nurse’s office — 47.5 or 10.4 percent of the student population, and 2,615 visits year to date.Rebecca Boone Elementary (487 enrolled students): Average daily visits to nurse’s office — 53.3 or 10.95 percent of the student population, and 2,935 visits year to date.Warrior Ridge Elementary (523 enrolled students): Average daily visits to nurse’s office — 53.6 or 10.2 percent of the student population, and 2,947 visits year to date.Black Hawk Middle School (727 enrolled students): Average daily visits to nurse’s office — 33.6 or 4.62 percent of the student population, and 749 visits year to date.Warrenton High School (949 enrolled students): Average daily visits to nurse’s office — 28.7 or 3 percent of the student population, and 778 visits year to date.High school nurse Heather Cox, LPN, reported that district-wide the school nursing staff sees 78 students for daily medications, including eight for diabetic medication.“Sometimes we see these kids (for diabetes) three or four times a day,” said Cox.Asthma No. 1 Cause Of School Absence“The No. 1 cause of missed school days is asthma,” reported Janette Hysong, RN, who covers Rebecca Boone Elementary, noting that 11.5 percent of R-III students, or 363 kids, have asthma — higher than the Missouri state average of 10.9 percent.At R-III, the percentage of students with asthma is highest in the elementary schools, with Rebecca Boone’s asthma patient population at 13.1 percent.“We’re working with students to get them to understand the exact way to take the medicine that’s going to help them be able to feel well enough to be in school,” said Hysong.Hysong noted other health concerns in the areas of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), along with food allergies identified in a yearly health survey of student medical needs.She said that 339 students districtwide are being treated in some form for ADD and ADHD, noting that many parents and students are choosing alternative treatments or administer medication at home.When she started with the district 20 years ago, Hysong said there were a handful of students with food allergies, and that she has witnessed a steady rise in this phenomenon.Today, 156 students throughout the district have a documented (signed medical statement from the doctor) food allergy.“We work with food services to adjust each student’s diet,” she said.Hysong reported the district had worked with the health department in administering free flu shots to 508 students throughout all buildings.During the board presentation, nurses highlighted the broad array of health-related responsibilities under their domain, including immunization monitoring and follow up; vision, hearing, height and weight screenings; dental clinics; collaboration with outside agencies such as the health department; as well as some employee health support.Nurses also held a learning session in November for middle school students on managing stress.Growing Student Health Needs Keep Nursing Staff Busy