PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla — If your child was having an emergency at school, how quickly would you want a medical professional on the scene?
Jennifer Reznick, a licensed practical nurse for Pinellas County Schools, says the district's practice of assigning nurses to cover more than one school leaves potential gaps in coverage if a medical emergency arises.
“I fear that something's going to happen to a student because there’s just not someone there to handle it,” she said.
A union member, Reznick believes the district's uncompetitive pay is the reason they can't retain or attract enough nurses to have one at each school. She has worked as a nurse for the district for nearly seven years but says she doesn't make enough money to support her family.
“I live in Pasco County, I have three jobs and a lot of credit card debt,” she said. “I can’t afford to live in Pinellas County.”
Reznick says she is being paid at the lowest licensed practical nurse (LPN) rate, which is $28,377 annually.
A district representative clarifies that the average annual LPN salary is $30,318, with the highest being $38,736 a year.
Reznick hopes the district will raise wages.
“We understand budgets, we get it, we’re willing to work with anybody,” she said. “We would like to see our wages bumped up to meet that of the district police officers.”
A district spokesperson says, “The staffing model is continuously evaluated to ensure the medical needs of our students are met most efficiently with the available resources."
That spokesperson said that LPNs are assigned to two schools each.