How School Nurses Keep Our Kids Safe And Healthy In Iron County

On a recent episode of the Big Picture Morning Show on KSUB radio, Tiffany Johnson, Nurse Supervisor for the Iron County School District, offered insight into the vital role school nurses play in keeping students safe, healthy, and learning.

Johnson, who has been with the district for about a decade, described her path into school health. “Well, I started in the hospital, and I love public health and education, and it just opened up. I love it, so I don’t know that I’ll ever leave,” she said during the interview.

Education, Johnson emphasized, is at the heart of her team’s work. “You know, that’s the biggest part of our role is educating. We educate students, we educate parents, we educate educators. So it’s a big part,” she explained. This includes training school staff to handle emergencies and preparing them for common issues such as asthma, diabetes, broken bones, or allergic reactions.

Measles Cases On The Rise As Immunizations Decrease

A key topic of discussion was immunizations. Johnson explained, “A lot of these immunizations, they prevent diseases that are devastating to people. And without getting vaccinated, they’re starting to rise. We’ve got the measles outbreak that’s going on. And 30 years ago, we could count on one hand how many cases of measles we had.”

She noted that symptoms of measles include high fever, cough, and red eyes, followed by a rash that typically starts at the hairline and spreads downward. “You’re most contagious for the four days following the rash,” Johnson said, adding that if a student suspects measles, families should call their healthcare provider or health department before visiting in person to prevent further spread.

Johnson also addressed growing concerns about vaccination rates. “The health department has told us that we have 19% exemptions in Southwest Utah. So it’s on the rise, because in 2015 we had about 7%,” she said. Despite this trend, she reassured parents: “The measles vaccine has been around for a long time and has proven to work very well. And so I don’t think there should be a concern.”

Read More: SUU And Intermountain Health Team Up To Promote Wellness

Beyond medical preparedness, Johnson stressed the supportive role nurses play in schools. “We want kids to feel like they have a place to go if they’re sick or hurt. That’s one of our goals. But the other goal is to keep them in class,” she said.

Get our free mobile app

You can listen to the entire discussion with Johnson in the podcast below.