Tornillo ISD searching for registered nurse
If you’re in the market for a nursing job, the Tornillo Independent School District wants you to apply.
ABC-7 looked into how and why it’s taken so long to fill the job.
People in the small town of Tornillo know that the school district is without a nurse. What they may not know is that the district hasn’t had a registered nurse since 2003, according to Superintendent Jeannie Meza-Chavez. Chavez said the district has had only licensed vocational nurses and nurse assistants, and currently has only one nurse assistant.
“There’s a lot of things awful that could happen to the kids, and we don’t have a proper nurse to take care of them,” Clemente Escalante said. He has grandchildren who attend TISD schools.
Meza-Chavez said that since last summer, TISD has received three applicants for the open registered nurse position. She said the district offered the job to one candidate, who declined because of the salary being offered.
In a district with four schools and nearly 1,300 students, Chavez has asked staff to participate in first aid and CPR training at the end of February.
“We need a professional,” Rogelio Montoya said. “She’s just one assistant, and there’s just too many students for one assistant.”
How does Tornillo stack up against other small districts?
Canutillo Independent School District has nine RNs and two LVNs.
Clint Independent School District has 10 RNs and 12 nurse assistants.
San Elizario Independent School District has two RNs, five LVNs and six nurse assistants.
ABC-7 sought similar information from Fabens, Gadsden and Anthony school districts but didn’t hear back.
“For me, there are two things educators need to be doing: instruction and keeping students safe,” Chavez said in an off-camera interview. “Accidents happen all the time. We take care of first aid stuff all the time. We also call for an ambulance if need be.”
ABC-7 spoke with a woman who worked as an El Paso Independent School District nurse for 18 years. She requested anonymity, but said that school nurses are not mandated in the state of Texas.
