NASN Releases Supporting Students With Epilepsy Toolkit

NASN is pleased to present Supporting Students with Epilepsy: A Toolkit for School Nurses created following the NASN Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice™. This no-cost comprehensive toolkit provides guidance for school nurses supporting students with epilepsy, including information on transitioning from pediatric to adult care and a range of seizure training and resources.

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An Education Week article highlights results from a new nationally representative survey painting a picture of school health workers overwhelmed with student needs. 

NASN President-Elect Kate King said school nurses need training on how to be health leaders in their school districts and communities and how to use and collect health-related data. They also need to understand the “gamut of mental health diagnoses, treatments, and evidence-based practices,” she said, speaking to the need for professional development, especially as student mental health needs continue to rise.

NASN recently released a consensus document, Elevating the Role of School Nurses in School-Based Mental and Behavioral Health, that identified key priorities and opportunities in supporting youth mental and behavioral health in schools. The document includes: 

• Key priority areas for advancing school-based mental health programs for students; 
• Opportunities for school nurses to support school-based mental health programs; and
• Considerations for health and education leaders to support youth mental and behavioral health programs.

Sleep is critical to teen physical and mental health, daily function, and school performance. The Journal of School Nursing (JOSN) article Something Has to Give: An Urban Community-Engaged Focus Group Study of Teen Sleep provides insight into important areas of focus for a sleep intervention tailored to the needs of ethnoracially diverse teens living in an urban community.

An online subscription to JOSN is included with NASN membership.

• Additional NASN Resources: Become a student sleep advocate with Virtual NASN2023's session Sleep … The Untapped Tool to Optimize Health, Mental Wellness, Decision Making, and Academic Success. Register now for informative presentations you can access from anywhere on your time.

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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 Health Staff Wonder: How Do You Help LGBTQ+ Students in a ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Era? (Source: edweek.org)
• Health, homelessness reports presented to school board (Source: timesrepublican.com)
• School Districts Stock Narcan To Combat Drug Overdoses In Teens (Source: icecreamconvos.com)
• Martin Inducted Into Hall of Fame (Source: sctonline.net)
• School’s Out Forever: Wayne Educational Staff Retirees Reflect on Years of Service (Source: tapinto.net)

Visit NASN’s Diabetes in Children page, offering resources to assist school nurses in providing evidence-based quality care to students with type 1 diabetes (T1D). There you'll find NASN's School Nursing Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline: Students with Type 1 Diabetes providing practice recommendations and strategies to improve the health and safety of the school-age child with T1D, School Nursing Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline: Students with Type 1 Diabetes Toolkit helping school nurses implement those recommendations and more.

• Additional NASN Resources: Discover The American Diabetes Association's New Resources for Keeping Students with Diabetes Safe at School and how to use them. This Virtual NASN2023 session provides school nurses with the most current information on diabetes technologies and treatment therapies. Learn more about Virtual NASN2023 sessions and speakers.

CVEEP Launches New "You're Covered" Campaign

The transition from government purchase to traditional insurance coverage of COVID-19 vaccines following the end of the public health emergency has the potential to lead to confusion. Vaccine advocates can fill information gaps and ensure that the public has accurate and timely updates. The COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project's (CVEEP) new "You're Covered" campaign aims to be an essential resource in addressing these gaps.

• Additional NASN Resources: The toolkit Building Family Confidence in the COVID-19 Vaccine: Framing Strategies for School Nurses, offered by NASN as part of the Champions for School Health project, offers evidence-based tips and techniques to support more productive communications about vaccinating kids.

Climate Justice and Health: Educating for Change Webinar

Join the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) for an insightful webinar that explores the complex dynamics of climate justice, environmental justice, systemic racism, and their profound health implications. Learn more and register to gain practical strategies to apply this knowledge in your daily practice, empowering you to take action, build relationships, and make meaningful contributions toward addressing these critical challenges within your community.

Updated resources on Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever 



School nurses can earn continuing education credits with the CDC's updated web-based training, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) Training Module: Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment for Healthcare Providers, educating healthcare providers, including school nurses, on the diagnosis and treatment of RMSF. For more information, visit CDC's RMSF webpage and access the RMSF toolkit.

Helping Kids and Teens Get the Food They Need This Summer 

No Kid Hungry has created a free meal finder map and a text line where families can text the word “FOOD” or “COMIDA” to 304-304 to find free meals near them. The meals are available for all kids 18 and under. No questions asked. The texting service is also now available on WhatsApp.

Apply for the HHS Children and Youth Resilience Challenge

HHS released the Children and Youth Resilience Challenge to award prizes to community-led solutions to promote resilience in children and youth, advance mental health and well-being, and reduce the risk for adverse mental health outcomes among children and youth. Apply by Friday, July 7, 2023.

Pharmacists Teach Program to Address Substance Misuse

CVS Health and Discovery Education have partnered to expand the Pharmacists Teach program into the classroom with a no-cost prevention program, Dose of Knowledge, striving to empower you to address substance misuse and educate students to make good decisions for their health and well-being and that of their community.

• 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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