The number of students experiencing poor mental health is growing. School nurses, sometimes overlooked in the broader conversation about student mental health, are already integrated into the fabric of the school community and provide multifaceted support to students, their families, and the communities.

Mathematica and NASN recently partnered to better understand school nurses' role in supporting the mental health of students, families, schools, educators, and communities. Here's what we learned.

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Related Resources:

• Highlighting Key Findings from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report
• Expanding Medicaid Services in Neighborhood Schools Makes Health Care More Accessible and Equitable

With evidence-based resources, school nurses can assist in creating and implementing an employee wellness program in the school setting. Listen to the January NASN podcast; NASN School Nurse Editor Cynthia Galemore interviews Eileen Moss about the article "Development of an Evidence-Based Employee Wellness Program." 

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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.

• Schools on Guard Against Respiratory Illnesses (Source: k12dive.com)
• School Nurses: ‘Sometimes All They Need Is a Hug' (Source: dailyitem.com)
• Many Baltimore Schools Don’t Have a Nurse. Local Colleges Are Stepping in to Find Them (Source: thebaltimorebanner.com)
• ‘The Language of Teenagers’: New Grant Brings Crisis Text Line to Denver and Its Schools (Source: longmontleader.com)
• Wasatch School District Nurses Work to Get Kids Back to School Quickly (Source: kpcw.org)
• In Her Own Words: Susan Tellone’s Mission Is to Keep Teens Alive (Source: bizjournals.com)
• Narcan Available in Westfield Schools, Just in Case (Source: indystar.com)
• Embodying the Nursing Spirit (Source: scasd.org)

NASN proudly announces a new school nurse-led pilot project, "Providing Coordinated Care and Capturing Outcomes for Students with T1D," created through the generous financial support of The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. The project will:  

• Create a comprehensive, evidence-based school nurse T1D curriculum and a model for integrating state-specific considerations at a local level. 
• Identify the impact of T1D on student health and academic outcomes through active surveillance and collection of standardized data points related to student health and academic outcomes. 
• Increase school nurse capacity to provide evidence-based interventions and data collection for students with T1D. 

Related Resources: 

• The School Nursing Evidence-Based CPG: Students with T1D
• NASN's data Initiative, the National School Health Data Set: Every Student Counts!

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released an updated Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs. The statement reiterates expectations for inclusive early childhood settings and updates recommendations for state and local agencies that implement Individuals with Disabilities Education Act programs, Head Start, childcare, home visiting, preschool, and public schools to increase inclusive early learning opportunities for all children. Additionally, the statement includes evidence-based models and exemplars of inclusion and resources to support programming and inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs. View the press release announcing this updated resource.

Related Resources:

• See NASN's Position Statement: IDEIA and Section 504 Teams - The School Nurse as an Essential Team Member

Children’s play is integral in their cognitive, social, and physical development. Still, reported playground injuries over the past three decades have remained steady. The open-access article Epidemiological Characteristics of School Playground Injuries, recently published in the Journal of Clinical Pediatrics, looked at the dynamics of playground injuries. The article provides the entire spectrum of injuries categorized into five domains: head/neck, upper extremities, trunk, lower extremities, and other/unknown.

Related Resources: Data can be a powerful tool for school nurses when seeking to promote changes in their schools. View the NASN School Nurse article Playgrounds, Injuries, and Data: Keeping Children Safe.

January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month! This year’s theme is Activate Connections to Prevent Human Trafficking. When we partner to prevent, we can enhance our efforts to keep everyone safe from human trafficking. You can visit the Office on Trafficking in Persons website throughout January for news, resources, and events. 

Related Resources: See NASN's Position Statements on Human Trafficking and Prevention and Management of Child Maltreatment.

• Florida Association of School Nurses 28th Annual Conference - Reflect ♡ Refresh ♡ Refocus - February 2-3, 2024. Learn more and Register

• California School Nurses Organization 74th Annual Conference - Stay the Course Through Advocacy and Support - February 8-11, 2024. Learn more and Register

• Maryland Association of School Health Nurses Conference 2023 - Changing Tides: Current Trends, Research and Management in School Nursing - March 9, 2024. Learn more and Register.

• New Jersey State School Nurses Association Spring 2024 Conference - SCHOOL NURSES Make the Impossible, POSSIBLE - March 15-16, 2024. Learn more and Register.

• School Nurse Organization of Washington - Spring Virtual Conference - Moving Forward: Mindset is Everything - Mar 15-16, 2024. Learn more.

• Vermont State School Nurses Association Spring Conference - March 16, 2024. Learn more and Register.

• Delaware School Nurse Association Spring Conference 2024 - Mar 22-23, 2024. Learn more.

• Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners 2024 Annual Conference - Opening Doors to School Health - March 22-24, 2024. Learn more and Register.

• Missouri Association of School Nurses Spring Conference - Giving Students the Best of Us - Apr 13-14, 2024. Learn more and Register.

• Ohio Association of School Nurses 2024 Annual Conference - Our Future is Bright - Apr 19-21, 2024. Learn more.

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 2024 calendar. 

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