Duties of a School Nurse

Nurses are health care professionals who work in a wide variety of settings including hospitals and nursing homes. School nurses are nurses employed in a school setting. A school nurse has many different duties she is expected to perform each school day. Such tasks include supervising the health of the entire school body as well as serving as a liaison between the health care community and the school population. School nurses perform a vital role in the educational setting. Assist Students With Medical Needs

School nurses assist students with chronic health care conditions. Some students may have ongoing health care needs necessitating the intervention of a health care professional. Diabetics may need a nurse to help them keep track of their blood sugar on a daily basis. Students combating childhood cancer may need assistance in administering medications. Students with special needs such as a student with a metabolic disorder such as PKU may need assistance in choosing a proper diet. A school nurse can not only assist such students but also help them achieve their optimal long-term health goals. Assist Faculty Members Facing Ilness

School nurses assist faculty members with chronic health care conditions. Some faculty members may have health care conditions that necessitate the need of a professional such as cardiac care problems or posttransplant care. A nurse can help a faculty member attend to his health care needs, thus decreasing the need for absences. This can help students learn better by making sure that faculty members are available to teach without the need for substitute teachers. Teach Classes

Nurses teach health care classes. School nurses may teach students basic classes in hygiene. Such classes can help students learn about the proper way to decrease germ transmission or how best to avoid sexually transmitted disease. Emergency Leadership

School nurses assume a leadership role in case of an emergency. If a school faces an emergency such as a fire or bus crash, a school nurse can assist faculty members and students in coping with the emergency. A school nurse can administer medication and treat any resulting injury. School nurses can also help students cope with any trauma as a result. Health Care Screening Tests

School nurses administer health care screening tests. School nurses may help check students for signs of all kinds of medical conditions. Such conditions may include screenings for otherwise unnoticed health care problems such as scoliosis, eye problems, malnutrition or physical abuse. A school nurse can also offer referrals if students require them for conditions such as speech problems that may need further medical intervention to correct.

Roles and Responsibilities of a School Health Nurse

The roles and responsibilities of a school health nurse vary based on the school district, but there are some basics that you can expect from every school nurse. The school nurse must be licensed and able to practice in the state in which she is employed. In addition, she must have CPR training and have the communication skills necessary to communication with young students as well as parents and school administrators. Education

The school nurse should be able to educate students on health-related topics that are important for the student ages, including good nutrition, cold prevention and sex education. In some school districts, the school nurse is also the health teacher and must plan lessons to teach students. Consultation

School nurses consult with students on a variety of health related topics. In some cases, the nurse acts as confidant and may need to advise students on sensitive topics, such as pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, depression and eating disorder. Other health consultations are more routine, such as stomach aches or headaches. Health Screening Throughout the year, the school nurse may test student development in order to identify potential problems, In particular, the nurse may perform hearing and vision tests and examine student spines for signs of scoliosis. Minor Treatment

The school nurse should take care of minor medical issues, such as scrapes and splinters. The nurse will take care of ill students in her office until the parents are able to pick up the student. Additionally, the nurse will make recommendations for further medical treatment should there be a major problem, such as a cut requiring stitches. Management

The nurse will maintain medical files on all students. These files will include information on student health problems and immunizations. When appropriate, the nurse will add information about health problems that the student has.

School nurses facilitate normal development and positive student response to interventions.

The school nurse serves as the health care expert in the school to meet student health needs with an understanding of normal growth and development in children and youth as well as students with special needs. The school nurse develops plans for student care based on the nursing process, which includes assessment, interventions, and identification of outcomes and evaluation of care.

School nurses provide leadership in promoting health and safety, including a healthy environment.

The school nurse provides health-related education to students and staff in individual and group settings and provides consultation to other school professionals, including food service personnel, physical education teachers, coaches, and counselors. Responsibilities in the provision of a safe and healthy school environment include the school nurses monitoring of immunizations, managing communicable diseases, assessing the school environment for safety to prevent injury and spearheading infection control measures. The school nurse is also a leader in the development of school safety plans to address bullying, school violence, and the full range of emergencies that may occur at school. School nurses provide quality health care and intervene with actual and potential health problems.

Health care for chronic and acute illness, as well as injuries in the school setting, is a major focus of the role of the school nurse. The school nurse is responsible for medication administration, health care procedures, and the development of health care plans. Students often have multiple needs that should be examined in order for the student to be able to be successful in the classroom, and school nurses often engage in health screenings that include vision, hearing, body mass index, mental health index or other screening procedures (often based on local and state regulations) to address those issues. School nurses use clinical judgment in providing case management services.

The school nurse receives medical orders to guide the health care needed to assist each student to be safe and successful at school. As in other clinical settings, the nurse develops Individualized Healthcare Plans (IHPs) in nursing language to direct nursing care for students as well as Emergency Care Plans (ECPs) written in lay language to guide the response of unlicensed personnel in a healthrelated emergency. Both plans are tailored to the individual needs of a specific student to improve expected care outcomes. The nurse makes decisions related to the appropriate delegation of healthcare tasks as directed by state laws and professional practice guidance (American Nurses Association [ANA]/National Council of State Boards of Nursing [NCSBN], 2006). As medical and information technology advance and change, it is imperative for the school nurse to pursue professional development so the school nurse is able to provide the best possible care for the student population. School nurses actively collaborate with others to build student and family capacity for adaptation, self-management, self advocacy and learning.

Coordinating the linkage between the medical home, family and school is an important aspect of the role of the school nurse. The school nurse has health expertise that is essential to school educational teams, such as the Committee on Special Education, the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) team and the Section 504 Team so that health-related barriers to learning can be reduced for each student. The school nurse can provide families with referral information along with available community resources to

improve access to health care. The school nurse can also assist families in obtaining health insurance as needed and can represent the school on community coalitions to advocate for school-based health care.