Diana Jerez: A school nurse in every school is a real necessity
Diana Jerez: “Having a school nurse in every school is a real need”
The president of the organizing committee and school nurse for the southern zone of Fuerteventura, Diana Jerez, highlighted in an interview on the program La Voz de Fuerteventura on Radio Insular the necessity of giving this role prominence within the education sector, as pursued by the First Autonomic Congress titled “From Theory to Fair”, taking place this Friday and Saturday in Fuerteventura.
“It’s not only about assistance, which is safety, or health promotion, or education from early childhood health,” she said, emphasizing that the work goes far beyond occasional care and “putting on a band‑aid”.
The school nursing program celebrates its fourth anniversary in the Canary Islands. In Fuerteventura, the network currently has only two nurses covering the entire island, but next year four additional professionals will join, allowing school nursing to expand to areas such as Corralejo, Gran Tarajal, and Puerto del Rosario. “We’re on the right track,” Jerez affirmed, though she noted that the island is still far from having a school nurse in every centre. “That’s the direction we should be heading.”
The Congress will gather around 150 participants and is not limited to the health sector. Teachers, school management teams, guidance counselors, and associations linked to school health will also take part. Topics on the agenda include mental health, chronic illnesses, and care for children with autism and other neurodiversities.
“We have tried to cover all the issues we see day‑to‑day in schools,” Jerez explained, stressing the need to develop joint protocols and a more coordinated effort between Education and Health authorities.
She also underscored the importance of giving families a voice in the discussion.
“It’s crucial that families can speak up and tell us what they truly need,” she said, referring also to the participation of FIMAPA, the Island Federation of Parents and Students, in the Congress.
III School Health Fair
In parallel with the Congress, Pájara will host the III School Health Fair this Friday, turning the town into a large learning space for its students. The event will bring together pupils from Morro Jable, Pájara, La Lajita, Tarajalejo, and Costa Calma. Jerez highlighted that it is “super important” for children who do not have a permanent school nurse at their school to experience this initiative.
The fair will feature workshops on yoga, emotional wellbeing, healthy nutrition, first aid, oral hygiene, and posture care. As a novelty, it will include stroke detection through the Fast Heroes program, which the organizer described as “a beautiful program and also very important.”
The goal is to translate classroom learning into practice and reinforce, from an early age, habits that can shape the future health of an entire generation.