CHCC “will help us train them and they will be like outreach workers, who will be stationed at the schools,” he added.
PSS wanted to hire school nurses, but no one responded to two Requests for Proposals, PSS senior director Dr. Yvonne Pangelinan said.
There are not enough nurses on island, she added.
Board of Education member MaryLou Ada said PSS must hire nurses, adding that children are susceptible to sickness.
Citing the shortage of nurses, BOE member Andrew Orsini said it is not possible to have a nurse in each school. However, he said, PSS could try to hire a few full-time nurses who will visit the schools.
Pangelinan said PSS has a better chance of hiring outreach workers than it does nurses.
“We don’t need experienced nurses to take temperatures or ensure compliance with Covid-19 safety measures,” she added.
Through the federal Education Stabilization Fund, PSS has allocated $550,000 to hire 22 part-time nurses for 10 months.
