School Nurses Enhance the Health and Well-Being of Rural Children

Rural school nurses are on the front lines of providing health care for children and families in rural Colorado, but there is little research from their perspective. In the Journal of School Nursing (JOSN) June Podcast, Martha Dewey Bergren, JOSN editor, interviews author Alice Burch to discuss the article "Rural School Nurses Face Challenges in Colorado: A Qualitative Study." Listen here.

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During a recent joint White House and Education Department webinar on youth drug prevention, panelists -- including NASN's President-Elect Kate King -- discussed emergency preparedness and awareness campaigns. This K-12DIVE article highlights the webinar.

Sophia Hall, DNP, M.Ed., RN, NCSN, and VT NASN Director, received a great honor in May when she was invited to the Vermont House of Representatives. During the meeting, a joint resolution was read congratulating Hall on her receipt of the 2022 State and National School Nursing Awards and recognizing Hall's commitment and leadership in the field. View the resolution.

Diabetes care is a critical function of school nurses. The JOSN research article, Family Interviews Inform School-based Nursing for Children with Type 1 Diabetes and their Families, aimed to better understand the burden(s) associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus on school-aged youth and families and subsequently identify strategies school nurses can adopt to reduce the impact of this disease.

See NASN's no-cost Toolkits:

• School Nursing Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline: Students with Type 1 Diabetes Toolkit.

• Improving Care Coordination for Students with Chronic Health Conditions Toolkit.

NASN members stay current with an online subscription to JOSN. 

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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.

• A ‘miracle’ and heroes saved Columbus teen’s life. Now his school is even more prepared (Source: ledger-enquirer.com)
• Forsyth school nurse becomes first NC Credentialed Public Health Nurse (Source: yesweekly.com)
• Bell family honors Bennett’s Mill nurse for saving a life (Source: thecitizen.com)
• KESD Nurse, Sophia Hall Visits Representative Terri Williams at the Vermont State House (Source: kingdomeast.org)
• Alamogordo Public Schools receives $50,000 donation from Western Sky Community Care (Source: alamogordonews.com)
• Report: Health care worker shortage 'more acute' in Black communities (Source: spectrumnews1.com)
• Mississippi School Nurses Association holds conference in Tupelo (Source: wtva.com)

June is National Migraine & Headache Awareness Month

For National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, check out NASN's NCPD program, The Emerging School Nurse Leader Role in Decreasing School Absenteeism in Children with Migraine Headache, highlighting the Headache Action Plan Project for Youth (HAPPY). You'll see how timely identification and effective management of childhood migraine could prevent chronification and long-term disability. This educational activity is free for NASN members!

• NASN's School Nurse-Led Active Surveillance Manual provides a standardized, evidence-based procedure for school nurses to follow to address health related absences and chronic absenteeism. See also the course A School Nurse-Led Initiative to Address Chronic Absenteeism.

The National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN) needs your help! The NBCSN 2023 Job Analysis Survey is now available. The results of this survey will be used to help develop the specifications for NBCSN National Certified School Nurse (NCSN) Examination. Please take 15 minutes to tell us about your school nurse work. The deadline for responses is July 9, 2023. Questions? Contact Theresa “TC” Field-Bobroski at [email protected]. 

The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) has developed the new resource, School Employee Wellness: A Toolkit for Supporting the Implementation of School Employee Wellness in Districts/Schools, which supports evidence-based school employee wellness initiatives that can improve employee health, increase productivity and performance, reduce absences, and increase employee retention. School employee wellness initiatives can also reduce turnover, enhance recruitment of prospective employees, lower healthcare costs, and benefit students.  

SOPHE’s toolkit includes the following fact sheets: 

• Establishing Support for School Employee Wellness 
• Engaging Key Partners for School Employee Wellness 
• Taking Action to Improve School Employee Wellness 
• Creating a Culture and Climate of Wellness for School Employees 

School employee wellness is an essential component of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model and is a critical contributor to students’ health and academic success. 

On June 7, the American Lung Association released the new Driving to Clean Air report highlighting that a widespread transition to zero-emission passenger vehicles and electricity would drastically improve health across the United States. This report is timely, given the open EPA comment period on stronger light-duty and medium-duty vehicle standards.  

On Wednesday, June 14, 2023, from 3 to 4 pm ET, a free webinar, State Efforts to Prevent Adolescent Substance Abuse, is being sponsored by the Leadership Exchange for Adolescent Health (LEAHP), The National Coalition of STD Directors, Child Trends and The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). Register for the webinar.

School nurses provide medical care to students with various health conditions, including those from other countries seeking asylum in the United States. They also work with other healthcare professionals in community-based agencies to ensure the well-being of their students. But the asylum-seeking status presents unique challenges for school nurses. To learn more about these challenges, read the JOSN open-access research article, School Nurses’ Experiences of Health Promotion for School-Age Asylum Seekers, which explores the experiences of school nurses in promoting the health and well-being of these children.

• 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

• 2023 Arkansas School Nurses Association Summer Conference - School Nurses: Bridging the Gaps of Health and Safety - June 20-22, 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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