Health Equity: School Nurses at the Forefront

NASN is pleased to share newly appointed NASN President Kate King's final AAP Council on School Health (COSH) Newsletter submission as she prepares to transition off the COSH Executive Committee and into her role as President. 

"Utilizing NASN's Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice™ and aspiring to the vision of NASN "that all students are healthy, safe and ready to learn," school nurses are on the front lines of health equity."

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NASN School Nurse continues to advance the practice of school nursing by publishing evidence-based articles and providing information on emerging issues, innovation in school health, and NASN resources. NASN membership includes a subscription to NASN School Nurse.

See the July 2023 issue of NASN School Nurse, featuring these articles and more:

• Violence Toward and by Youth: Part I: Looking for the “Whys”
• Violence Toward and by Youth: Part II: Recommendations for Violence Interventions in the School Setting
• School Nurses Can Reduce Firearm Injuries and Deaths

The new Sage Perspectives blog by NASN's Program Evaluation Director and Champions for School Health Project Manager, Deborah D'Souza-Vazirani, Vax Champions: NASN's Initiative for COVID-19 & School Vaccination Confidence and Equity, shares information, priorities, and implementation strategies on the Champions for School Health grant initiative and the key role that schools, school nurses and community-based organizations played in the pandemic response and promotion of health equity among children. Read the blog post.

• SAGE Perspectives blogs highlight topical and compelling research published in SAGE books and journals. See other blogs highlighting articles from The Journal of School Nursing and NASN School Nurse.

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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.

• Why Are School Nurses Leaving? (Source: nea.org)
• Nurses play critical role in school systems (Source: restorationnewsmedia.com)
• County Continues To Shore Up School Nursing Program (Source: rhinotimes.com)
• Anthony takes over as new CCSD lead nurse (Source: valleytimes-news.com)
• Gentry nurses attend school nurse convention (Source: eagleobserver.com)
• Helena kids get free eye exams and glasses thanks to "Little Peeps" program (Source: ktvh.com)
• Need for school nurses highlighted at national conference (Source: mynews13.com)
• Susan Griffith Appointed School Nurse Manager for AHPS (Source: virginianreview.com)
• New York City public school nurses now receiving Narcan training, Department of Education officials say (Source: cbsnews.com)

School nurses play a critical role in supporting students with epilepsy to increase their self-management, address physical and social needs, and provide the training to help them progress through school and into adulthood. NASN's new Supporting Students with Epilepsy: A Toolkit for School Nurses draws primarily on the key NASN Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice™ principle and practice components of care coordination, along with elements of leadership, quality improvement, public health, and standards of practice, to provide nurses with a comprehensive guide for implementing transition planning and school-based seizure care.

• Visit NASN's Epilepsy page to learn about NASN's Coordinated Support System for Students with Epilepsy program and discover many more epilepsy resources.

• The online educational video series "Conversations About Epilepsy" developed by CMEology is available to enable, empower, and prepare people with epilepsy, caregivers, and healthcare providers to engage in conversations about epilepsy, seizure action plans, and rescue therapies.

Medicaid and School-Based Services

School-based services (SBS) play a significant role in the health of children and adolescents, and SBS providers need to receive reimbursement to cover costs associated with delivering and administering covered Medicaid services provided to children in school settings. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched the SBS Technical Assistance Center to provide resources and materials to support States and schools in implementing Medicaid SBS. 

• View NASN's position statement Equitable Reimbursement for School Nursing Services.

New Recommendations: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)

The ACIP develops recommendations on how to use vaccines to control disease in the US. ACIP approved multiple recommendations, including Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccine recommendations, by majority vote at its June 21-23, 2023 meeting. The CDC Director adopted these on June 27, 2023, and they are now official. They will be published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report in the coming months.

SAMHSA's 988 Partner Toolkit

SAMHSA, the primary federal agency leading efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation, recognizes the need to clearly communicate what the 988 Lifeline is and how it works, so they developed the 988 Partner Toolkit with resources including Social Media Shareables, Fact Sheets and more for anyone to use to promote awareness of 988.

Healthy Vision Month 2023



National Eye Institute (NEI) has chosen "Healthy Vision: A Family Focus" as the theme for July 2023. The campaign aims to encourage families to safeguard their vision. Check out NEI's resources for Healthy Vision Month.

NASN Resources: 

• Visit NASN's Vision and Eye Health page guiding school nurses in front-line vision screening.
• NASN members receive gift certificates for free vision care to share with students who qualify through the NASN and  VSP Vision™ Eyes of Hope® partnership.

• 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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