What Do School Nurses Do?
The school nurse supports student success by providing health care through assessment, intervention, and follow-up for all children within the school setting. The school nurse addresses the physical, mental, emotional, and social health needs of students and supports their achievement in the learning process. (NASN, 2016a).
What Training Do School Nurses Receive?
School nursing is a specialized practice of nursing that advances the well-being, academic success, and lifelong achievement and health of students. Keeping children healthy, safe, in school, and ready to learn should be a top priority for both healthcare and educational systems. (NASN, 2016a).
School nurses are Registered Nurses with a bachelor degree in nursing and may have additional certifications or advanced degrees.
Why Do Students Need School Nursing Services?
School nurses are members of two divergent communities (educational and medical/nursing), and as such are able to communicate fluently and actively collaborate with practitioners from both fields (Wolfe, 2013). As a case manager, the school nurse coordinates student health care between the medical home, family, and school. The school nurse is an essential member of interdisciplinary teams, bringing the health expertise necessary to develop a student’s Individualized Education Plan or Section 504 plan designed to reduce health-related barriers to learning (Zimmerman, 2013). Creating, updating, and implementing Individualized Healthcare Plans are fundamental to the school nurse role (McClanahan & Weismuller, 2015).
How Do I Contact My Student's School Nurse?
Every school has access to the services of a school nurse. Please know that our school nurses may serve two or more schools but are always available as needed. Most often, our school nurses can be contacted by calling your student’s school directly or by contacting them at the information on the right side of this page.
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