The National Association of School Nurses, based in Scarborough, Maine, said the number is more like 3 million. Almost every teacher in the world has a child in his or her classroom with this problem. A Mass of Medication Ritalin is so commonly prescribed to school children that the association recently sent information packages about the drug to 11,000 members. It includes tips on how to recognize symptoms and how to store the drug. Whatever the numbers, school nurses say they are swamped by the increase in students' medication, forced to curtail or reschedule other programs such as vision and hearing screening or faculty flu shots.
Work is so intense.
I have to prioritize constantly. The paperwork is very tedious and time consuming, but it is also very rewarding when students do achieve and do well. Glendon and LaPointe agree some kids need Ritalin, but they worry about giving medicine to children who may not need it. When kids have issues, the quick fix is a pill. We're giving them a message by medicating them.