NURSE Act Reintroduced on National School Nurse Day

On School Nurse Day, Congresswoman Dina Titus reintroduced the Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools Everywhere (NURSE) Act, legislation that would help schools hire registered nurses by creating a grant program at the U.S. Department of Education. View Rep. Titus' press release.

“Every school should have a school nurse on staff every day. Passage of the NURSE Act is the first step to achieving student health equity,” said Linda Mendonça, President of NASN.

See NASN's Legislative Priorities and Outreach.

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Schools Stock Naloxone as Student Drug Overdoses Surge

ABC News reports on the health emergency of drug overdoses on school campuses and how stocking up on the life-saving drug naloxone can help prevent more deaths.

Kate King, the president-elect of NASN, says unfamiliarity with Naloxone and the "stigma" around it are primary barriers to more widespread adoption. "Schools already have emergency preparedness plans. We prepare for tornadoes, we prepare for chemical exposures, we prepare for fires, and certainly, we prepare for other kinds of health emergencies. This health emergency is no different," she said.

• See NASN's Position Statement Naloxone in the School Setting.

Endometriosis Film and Toolkit Educate to Change Lives

Due to popular demand, the viewing window for the new PBS film Below the Belt, a powerful new film that looks at endometriosis, has been extended for you through Sunday, May 21! You can also access the Menstrual Health Toolkit and earn 3.5 CNE units from Northeastern University School Health Academy for viewing the film and reviewing the materials! You can access the toolkit and film here.

Seek a Place Among the Fellows of NASN

NASN honors school nurses who have made extraordinary, unique, and enduring contributions to school nursing and NASN with recognition of Fellows. The NASN School Nurse article, The National Academy of School Nursing Fellows (FNASN), outlines the value of FNASNs, how they contribute, and how a school nurse can apply for Fellowship. The time is now for mid-career school nurses to prepare for the opportunity that a NASN Fellow represents! Many Fellows will be at NASN2023, and that would be a perfect time to meet up with a Fellow who might serve as your Petitioner. Learn more and see a list of current Fellows.

• NASN members keep up-to-date on the latest school nursing practice and clinical research with The Journal of School Nursing and NASN School Nurse.

NASN's Rodney LaPoint on Panel at School Safety Webinar

On May 25 at 2 p.m. ET, The National Crime Prevention Council will host a School Safety Webinar. Guest speakers, including NASN's Rodney LaPoint, will engage in a discussion related to Student Resource Officers, mental health in schools, and the importance of a safe school environment. Young people are demanding change. They want to feel safe in their communities and schools. Listen and be part of the conversation. Register for the webinar.

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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.

• School nurses speak out for National School Nurse Day (Source: newschannel20.com)
• Transforming student lives through school nursing (Source: thehub.dallasisd.org)
• School Nurses and the Impact they Have on Society (Source: scrubsmag.com)
• Beyond Band-Aids, School Nurses Navigate the New Normal (Source: baltimoremagazine.com)
• Melanie Bales: A School Nurse Career Path (Source: minoritynurse.com)
• Hawaiʻi nurses on public school campuses fill critical role (Source: hawaii.edu)
• Pay It Forward | A school nurse exceeding expectations (Source: youtube.com/@Wqadnews8)
• Healthy schools — CCPS celebrates School Nurses — National School Nurse Day is May 10 (Source: ccboe.com)
• We Appreciate Our School Nurses! Prince William County Schools (Source: youtube.com/@PWCSNews)
• 2023 School Nurse of the Year Awarded (Source: mecknc.gov)
• This Week at the Legislature: 2 School Staffing Bills, 33 Office Visits, & Ten Commandments (Source: texasaft.org)
• NY state budget funds free school breakfast and lunch (Source: wxxinews.org)
• Staying alive: Detroit Catholic Central students all being certified in CPR (Source: hometownlife.com)
• We Love Our School Nurses! (Source: cobbk12.org)

Promote Health Equity for Students With Asthma

May is Asthma Awareness Month, and just over 8 percent of school-age children have asthma, with poor, African-American, and Hispanic children bearing a disproportionate burden of the cost that the disease and disability exert on the individual and society. 

NASN's new NCPD Program Evidence-Based Decision Making - "As-Needed" Inhaled Corticosteroid Therapy for Pediatric Asthma provides an overview of the prevalence of asthma among students, describes evidence-based treatment options for mild persistent asthma, and how the NASN Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice™ guides the school nurse role in promoting student health equity, with asthma as a focus. Learn more and complete this educational offering to earn 1.0 NCPD contact hours.

• Skills-based Approach to Managing Chronic Health Conditions in Schools is a free interactive program geared towards helping school nurses apply the NASN Framework™ to the management of chronic health conditions in schools.

• The Improving Care Coordination for Students with Chronic Health Conditions Toolkit provides tools and resources to support the school nurse role in leading care coordination for students with chronic health conditions.

Join the White House Domestic Policy Council, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Monday, May 22 at 3:30 pm ET for a discussion on the recently released School-Based Services in Medicaid Super Guide and Informational Bulletin. You can register here to learn how these new actions can ease the administrative burden on school-based health providers to expand and optimize children’s access to school-based services and how your schools and districts can use them. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is accepting applications from school districts for the Enhancing School-based Health & Mental Health Services through Training, Education, Assistance, Mentorship, and Support (TEAMS) Program. The TEAMS Program is for school districts interested in expanding access to physical, mental, and behavioral health services in schools, improving the delivery of school health services, and/or enhancing the management of mental and/or chronic health conditions in schools. All school districts are invited to apply by Friday, June 9, 2023. Get program details and application instructions. Questions? Contact Gretchen Niemann, Manager, School Health Initiatives.

School nurses provide care for students with spina bifida. The transition from pediatric to adult-focused care can be a challenging process. AAP has developed videos highlighting the specific needs of individuals living with spina bifida and addressing support for cognitive and physical challenges, which could impact self-management and quality of life. Watch the videos  available in both English and Spanish and share them with students and caregivers to better understand how to prepare for health care transition.

• The U.S. Department of Energy launched the Renew America’s Schools Program to promote the implementation of clean energy improvements at K-12 public schools across the country. Learn about the phase 1 selections and when the next round of funding and grant application will be available for the Renew America’s Schools grant and the Energy CLASS Prize.

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers links to resources and guidance to create healthy indoor air quality in schools and promote a healthy learning environment at your school to reduce absenteeism, improve test scores and enhance student and staff productivity.

Schools can actively work to address the threat of targeted violence through a variety of prevention, protection, and mitigation measures. SchoolSafety.gov offers a variety of resources, guides, and tools that school communities can use to help prevent, protect against, and mitigate targeted violence incidents.

Over 32 million Americans are living with potentially life-threatening food allergies. Join FARE May 14-20, 2023, to celebrate Food Allergy Awareness Week bringing the food-allergic community together to share their stories and raise awareness. 

Check out NASN's Allergies and Anaphylaxis page for tools and resources relevant to schools and school nurses.

• 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

• 2023 South Dakota School Nurse Association Summer Conference - Building the Future of School Nursing in South Dakota - July 18-20, 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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