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'Nurses are overwhelmed' | Baltimore City school nurse says shortage is district's fault


Glenn Carman has been a registered nurse for 42 years (WBFF){br}
Glenn Carman has been a registered nurse for 42 years (WBFF)
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A Baltimore City school nurse has come forward, saying student safety is in jeopardy.

Project Baltimore recently reported on a shortage of nurses in Baltimore City Schools, and the nurse we spoke with, says it’s the district’s own fault.

“I've spent my life saving people's lives,” said Glenn Carman, who’s been a registered nurse for 42 years.

“It's not safe. The nurses are overwhelmed.”

At 64 years old, he’s not ready to retire. But in speaking with Project Baltimore, Carman realizes the decision to leave his job may be made for him.

“I'm not scared of retaliation,” he said. “What are you going to do to me when I'm telling you the truth? And to be very honest, if they fired me, I'm not sure that that wouldn't be a blessing in disguise.”

About five years ago, Carman took a job with the Baltimore City Health Department. The Health Department is one of 22 vendors that supply nurses to Baltimore City Schools. Some of those nurses, like Carman, work in school buildings, and others offer private-duty services for students with medical needs like Qwantay Spearman.

“It's sad because he doesn't have friends. So, when he goes to school, that's like an outlet for him,” Latasha Phillips, Qwantay’s mother, told Project Baltimore.

Qwantay is a junior at ConneXions, a charter school in west Baltimore. He missed the first 140 days of school this year, because City Schools did not have a nurse for him, which is part of his federally mandated IEP, or Individualized Education Program.

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“I believe they don't care because this is where this services is supposed to be coming from,” said Phillips.

Carman tells Project Baltimore this is a bigger problem than one student. He says he has four students with IEPs, just at his school, who are supposed to have nurses but don’t. He says two of those students are able to attend school because he’s stepped in to do what their private-duty nurse would.

“I'm doing their tube feedings, in addition to the regular duties that I have for all the students. I have a student who doesn't have a private-duty nurse because he doesn't meet the needs, who had five seizures the other day. That's in one day. That's five seizures. That's five times,” said Carman.

As of mid-April, Carman says, he was aware of 63 Baltimore City students, like Qwantay, who did not have a nurse and could not attend school. Baltimore City Schools told Fox45 News the number as of April 25 was 23 students. When asked for data for the entire school year, North Avenue declined.

Baltimore City Schools is experiencing a nursing shortage. The Covid pandemic drove many nurses out of the profession and caused a national shortage. Carman says that part of the problem is City Schools just didn’t prepare.

“Baltimore City, all right, did not do their work. They did not try to get nurses over the summer. And so, when they decided in August to come looking for nurses, any available nurses had already been picked up,” Carman told Project Baltimore.

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According to a Baltimore City Health Department union, there are 24 full-time health department nurses dedicated to City Schools. Another 30 or so come from other agencies. That adds up to just over 50 nurses to cover about 160 Baltimore City Schools.

“They are jeopardizing those students,” said Carman. “And at this point, my hands are tied. I'm doing everything I can, and I can't meet the needs.”

But Qwantay’s needs, like other students with IEPs, are not optional. IEPs are mandated by the federal government and funded by taxpayers. In Baltimore City Schools, the money goes into the special education budget, which, in 2022, was $207 million. Funding for nurses is part of that total.

“The money should be reimbursed,” Carman told Project Baltimore. “Because they didn't provide the service, so why should they get the money?”

Fox45 News contacted other local school systems, to see if they are facing a shortage of private-duty nurses. Anne Arundel, Howard, and Carroll County Schools said no. Project Baltimore asked City Schools about Carman’s allegation that North Avenue did not do enough recruiting to prepare. They declined an interview, writing in a statement, "The Baltimore City Department of Health is responsible for recruiting/hiring/retaining nurses for school health suites. City Schools provides private duty nurses, as required per medical orders, for students that require ongoing, individualized care due to complex medical issues. City Schools has supported BCHD by working proactively with universities and other partners to identify candidates, and by providing coverage for some health suites via the district's own contracts with nursing agencies.

City Schools has worked with our vendors to help them attract more candidates, including by changing our contracts to enable the agencies to increase their pay scales for private duty nurses. We are also exploring ways in the upcoming budget year to identify additional vendors and to enable our vendors to maintain their increased pay rates.

City Schools provides educational support for students with Individualized Educational Programs as required by federal law. We regularly monitor the implementation of the delivery of IEP services."

“There needs to be something done,” said Carman. “And just a slap on the wrist isn't an answer, because that's not going to stop them from doing it again or continuing to do it.”

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