Collaborate to Create Healthy Learning Spaces

NASN, The Center for Green Schools, and Chemical Insights Research Institute of UL Research Institutes invite you to join our upcoming joint webinar Identifying and Addressing Emerging Indoor Air Pollutants: School Health and Facilities Staff Collaborations, on April 27 at 3 pm ET. Panelist Clayton Wetzel, past VT NASN Director and school nurse at Waitsfield Elementary in VT, shares how he works closely with his district's facilities staff to prevent and address environmental health issues.

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Violence Toward and by Children and Youth

Violence is a public health crisis and is especially concerning when it involves youth. The free access NASN School Nurse article, Violence Toward and by Youth: Part I: Looking for the “Whys,”  categorizes the types of violence toward and by youth and beginning steps to understand “why” youth engage in violence are viewed through the lens of a modified ABC Model (antecedent, behavior, consequence). 

• Visit NASN's Violence in Schools health page for resources to assist with understanding how to identify the potential for violence in schools.

NASN members stay up-to-date on the latest evidence-based clinical and organizational resources with print and online subscriptions to NASN School Nurse.

Meet the Editor Bimonthly Web Meeting on May 3

Join us at 3:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, for the next meeting in the Meet the Editor web series, Turn That Poster into a Publication. The Journal of School Nursing (JOSN) Editor, Dr. Martha Dewey Bergren, will provide tips for authors and field comments and questions during this interactive meeting. Attendees will learn the steps to turn a poster into a published article. Register now. 

Join NASN's live webinar Evidence-Based Decision Making – “As-Needed” Inhaled Corticosteroid Therapy for Pediatric Asthma on Thursday, May 4 at 3 p.m. ET. Registration information is coming soon!

Participants will learn current management options for mild persistent asthma in children, ways to integrate those options into school nursing practice, and develop strategies to share current guideline-based options with students and families to support informed decision-making.

School Nurses Address Chronic Absenteeism

Listen to this month's JOSN Podcast, discussing the article "Feasibility Assessment of a School Nurse-Led Approach Using Chronic Absenteeism to Establish the School-Based Active Surveillance (SBAS) Process."

All school nurses are invited to review The School Nurse-Led Active Surveillance Manual and follow the SBAS process in their schools to advocate for policies that will better identify and assist chronically absent students.

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This section highlights news stories featuring NASN and school nurses. If you have a story about school nurses you'd like us to consider including, please send it to us.

• Three RSU 40 nurses achieve national certification (Source: knox.villagesoup.com)
• About half of surveyed Indiana school districts don’t meet school nurse recommendations (Source: wthr.com)
• Gordon County Schools approves FY24 ESS contracts (Source: northwestgeorgianews.com)
• School nurse funding in danger (Source: blountcountian.com)
• More than Band-Aids: Amid nursing shortage, school nurses' duties expanding (Source: news.yahoo.com)
• Sherman students and educators honored at Circle of Success (Source: kten.com)
• Lansing school board expands district wide student vision care  (Source: jrn.msu.edu)

Asthma-Friendly Schools

Asthma is a leading chronic illness among children and adolescents in the U.S. and one of the leading causes of school absenteeism. Asthma-friendly schools strive to create safe and supportive learning environments for students with asthma. They have policies and procedures allowing students to manage their asthma successfully.

NASN’s Asthma page contains resources to assist school nurses in providing care and support to students with asthma. There you'll find NASN Position Statements and other resources, including the Improving Care Coordination for Students with Chronic Health Conditions Toolkit, to support the role of the school nurse in leading care coordination for students with chronic health conditions, and the School Nursing Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline: Medication Administration in Schools Implementation Toolkit designed to help school nurses implement evidence-based recommendations for the safe care of Pre-K-12 students who receive medications during the school day and more.

If you were concerned about the results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011-2021 released by the CDC earlier this year, The State of Children’s Health in the United States infographic from The National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation demonstrates how important it is to pay attention to the findings of both reports and ask the question, “What as School Nurses can we be doing to make a difference for our students?” The infographic explores threats to child health and expert recommendations for improving child health and well-being.

Racial Disparities in Atopic Dermatitis and Food Allergy

Atopic dermatitis and food allergy are more prevalent and severe among people of color than previously recognized. Racial and ethnic considerations and socioeconomic factors contribute to barriers to accessing care and treatment.

To better understand these issues, the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology surveyed its members, conducted interviews with physicians and advocacy leaders, including Nichole Bobo, MSN, RN, Director of Nursing Education for NASN, and hosted a roundtable discussion to further explore the challenges and discuss potential solutions. The results are summarized in this white paper.

• You can also read the NASN School Nurse journal article Atopic Dermatitis: Diagnosis, Disparity, and Management in Children of Color to see how school nurses guide families and help support students with Atopic Dermatitis in the school setting. Print and online subscriptions are included with NASN membership.

World Immunization Week, recognized annually during the last week of April, brings the global immunization community together to celebrate the lifesaving power of vaccines. And this year’s theme, The Big Catch-Up, is an opportunity to raise awareness of the urgent and critical need to find and vaccinate children who missed vaccines.

Alliance for a Healthier Generation recently shared national market research on delays in recommended childhood vaccinations. The results point to opportunities for public health organizations and practitioners to promote on-time childhood vaccination. See the press release.

• NASN Resources: Visit NASN's Immunizations page to find resources for building family confidence and guides for planning School-Located Vaccination as an opportunity to promote equitable access. And see NASN's NCPD program Vaccine Hesitancy and the School Nurse's Role to Alleviate Parent's Concerns.

Millions of students across the country who currently rely on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program for health insurance may soon be without coverage. Healthy Schools Campaign is partnering with the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) and other organizations to disseminate a toolkit designed for schools and school districts to help inform families. The toolkit includes backpack fliers, newsletter blurbs, robocall scripts, and social media posts.

• Wisconsin Association of School Nurses Annual Conference - Improving the Inclusivity and Visibility of School Nurses - April 26-28, 2023 - Learn more

• 2023 Annual Iowa School Nurse Conference - Back in the Saddle - April 28-29, 2023 - Learn more and Register

• Nevada State Association of School Nurses 2023 Spring Conference - Up for the Challenge - April 29, 2023 - Learn more and Register

• 2023 New England School Nurse Conference (Association of School Nurses of Connecticut) - School Nurses: Essential Anchors During Changing Times - May 6-7, 2023 - Learn more and Register

• Utah School Nurse Association Annual Spring Conference - May 11-12, 2023 - Learn more and Register

• 2023 Mississippi School Nurse Association Conference - Transformation Through Adversity: The Resilient School Nurse - May 31-June 2, 2023 - Learn more and Register

• South Carolina Association of School Nurses 21st Annual School Nurse Summer Conference - Riding the Wave of Resiliency - June 11-13, 2023 - Learn more

• School Nurses of Arizona 34th Annual School Health Conference - Back to Basics: The ABC's of School Nursing - June 12-13, 2023 - Learn more and Register

• 2023 Georgia Association of School Nurses Annual School Nurse Conference - Restore our Light - June 13-16, 2023 - Learn more and Register

• The 34th Annual Statewide Summer Conference for Kansas School Nurses - Strengthening the Essentials: Foundations for Student Health - July 17-20, 2023 - Learn more and Register

NASN Calendar of Events

This calendar includes upcoming events hosted by NASN and NASN affiliate school nurse organizations. Access the calendar.

National Health Observances Calendar

This calendar lists special days, weeks, or months dedicated to raising awareness about important health topics. Access the 2023 calendar. 

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