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'We're ready': Nearly 100 nurses prepare for a school year like no other at NEISD

The district's safety plan calls for nurses creating isolation areas where students or faculty who potentially have COVID-19 can go.

SAN ANTONIO — North East ISD has stocked up on hand sanitizer, masks and face shields. It's prepared to keep the coronavirus at bay.

The San Antonio school district has 90 nurses spread across nearly 70 campuses. Nurse Coordinator D'Lynn Haycraft said they'll be the first to help if a student or teacher starts to show symptoms of the novel coronavirus.

"We're ready," Haycraft said. "Even though COVID is on a much grander scale, nurses have been prepared for treating students and staff with any type of communicable disease."

The district has developed a plan to protect everyone involved. Haycraft said if a teacher has a student who's feeling sick, they'll send an electronic form to the clinic. This will give the nurse and clinic assistant time to suit up with PPE and prepare for the potential case.

"They're gonna say, 'Who do I have in the clinic, who can I possibly remove,'" Haycraft said.

If clearing the clinic isn't an option, the student will be taken elsewhere.

"Every nurse has been tasked with the responsibility of creating an 'isolation area' on their campus that's separate from the clinic," Haycraft said.

From there, the nurse will complete an evaluation. Then they will contact the student's parents, who may have to take them home.

"Further recommendations will be given at that time," Haycraft said.

If a student or teacher does test positive, nurses will begin to do contact-tracing. Executive Director of Communications Aubrey Chancellor said their health services department will work alongside Metro Health to find out where that person has been and who they've been around.

"They have done online classes through Johns Hopkins University – many, many hours – so they know exactly what questions to ask," Chancellor said.

We're all learning to live alongside the coronavirus. NEISD's healthcare heroes are here to help.

"I think everyone is on high alert," Haycraft said. "I feel like we are prepared and ready to manage any situation that may arise."

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