Heat at School: Nausea, Headaches, Burns, Fatigue

At the National Association of School Nurses 2024 conference, the author – a fellow of the National Academy of School Nursing – met with a group of school nurses to discuss the impacts of extreme heat on student health and learning, including: heat exhaustion and heatstroke; headaches; enhanced allergic reactions; impaired academic performance; and diminished mental health and well-being. This blog post from the Healthy School Network website shares talking points from the discussion. Participants acknowledged the distinctive role of school nurses in educating staff and students about the risks of extreme heat and how to recognize and respond to a heat-related illness. They also concurred around the need to address extreme heat as part of school emergency management plans, among other ideas.