Health Services
Mustang Public Schools employs seven full time registered nurses, serving 12 school sites and more than 10,000 students. The nurses have more than 50 years of nursing experience between them. Before joining the district, they worked in nursing fields that include: intensive care, pediatrics, maternal/newborn, cardiac, home health and dialysis.
"Being a school nurse is more than Band-Aids and sore throats," said Kimberly Spillman, R.N., who is assigned to the high school campus. "In a typical day, a nurse may see a wide range of issues besides responding to injury and illness. We also treat and report child abuse and neglect, teach staff and students CPR, assist students with managing chronic illnesses such as diabetes and asthma, administer daily medications and check immunization compliance. There are many days when any of Mustang's nurses can treat 40 -50 students before the last bell rings at the end of the day."
Mustang Public Schools' nurses are all certified instructors of CPR/First Aid with the American Heart Association. In 2013-2014, the nurses certified approximately 167 district employees in First Aid and CPR. These employees included administrators, teachers, Special -Ed assistants, bus drivers and coaches. They also assisted in setting up flu/shot clinics in the fall for staff and the Caring Van for students.
Mustang school nurses also facilitate the annual HIV/Aids presentations in the secondary schools. They also assist in teaching about body image, dangers of energy drinks, importance of hand-washing, growth and development, nutrition and dental health across the district, as well as infant and child CPR to Mustang High School students.
"Several of our schools became certified as Healthy Schools through Certified Healthy Oklahoma this past school year," Spillman said. "The nurses were vital in accomplishing this goal and remain committed to ensuring our students have plenty of health and wellness opportunities."