June 13, 2024

President's Message

Today is the final day of NASN's Virtual Hill Days 2024, but you can make an impact all year long! Develop a habit of using data to guide your practice and plan. What do the demographic data tell you about the population you serve? Determine which data points you will collect through your documentation. NASN's data initiative, the National School Health Data Set: Every Student Counts!, provides user-friendly data points, definitions, and reporting structures to get you started or keep you going.

You have the power to build strong connections with stakeholders and decision-makers. Have confidence that you are the expert, and be fearless. Make your state and federal legislators' phone numbers favorites for easy access when a bill you can educate about or comment on comes up. Have at least three data points you can use to promote your practice of school nursing and a story you can tell supporting those on a card or in your phone in case of opportunity. Explore NASN's Advocacy Tools and check out the NASN School Nurse article in the next section of this Digest issue for inspiration to implement your advocacy efforts!

Kate King, DNP, MS, RN, LSN

NASN President

Better Health. Better Learning.™

NASN News and Highlights

School Nurses Caring for Students With Mental Health Problems

School nurses have reported stress and worry when caring for young people experiencing mental health problems, but why this occurs and how they respond has not been well-explored. Listen to the new Journal of School Nursing (JOSN) podcast and hear editor Martha Dewey Bergren interview author Anita Moyes about the article "An Untenable Burden: Exploring Experiences of Secondary School Nurses Who Encounter Young People with Mental Health Problems."

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Related Resources: Visit NASN's mental health page for NCPD programs, position statements, and more.

Build an Advocacy Campaign, Tell Your Story, and Raise Your Voice

All nurses have a responsibility to advocate. Advocacy is the eighth school nurse standard and can be actualized in many ways. The NASN School Nurse article Advocacy in Action: NASN’s 2024 Advocacy and Legislative Priorities describes NASN’s advocacy priorities and how school nurse visits to “the Hill” introduce legislative priorities to legislators.

NASN membership includes subscriptions to NASN School Nurse and JOSN.

Not yet a NASN member?

Explore the Many Ways NASN Keeps Members Up-To-Date.

NASN Staff Update: Meet Amy Dark

NASN is pleased to introduce Amy E. Dark, MSN, BA, RN, as one of our new Nursing Education and Practice Specialists.

Dark practiced school nursing in Rhode Island for 16 years. She served on NASN's Board of Directors (2019-2024) and Executive Committee (2021-2023) and chaired the NASN Ethics Committee. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Maine Association of School Nurses as the Amanda Rowe Scholarship chair. She is a certified K-12 health educator and completed the year-long School Health Leadership Program through Northeastern University School Health Academy. As a Doctor of Nursing Practice student at the University of New Hampshire, Dark uses her passion for school nursing, public health promotion, and vaccine advocacy. This summer, she will implement her DNP project, which focuses on the role of the school nurse in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine hesitancy. Dark is excited to work with NASN as a Nursing Education and Practice Specialist to provide education programs and resources for school nurse colleagues, and we are thrilled to welcome her to the NASN team!

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School Nurses in the News

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.

Q&A: Best Practices for Administration of Medication in Schools (Source: healio.com)
'IV League' Program Teaching Triad Students About Healthcare Careers (Source: myfox8.com)
Chamisa Elementary School’s Michele Wright Named NMSNA 2024 School Nurse Of The Year (Source: ladailypost.com)
The Relentless School Nurse: "The Senator is on the Line…" (Source: relentlessschoolnurse.com)
School Nurses Receive Emergency Totes With Grant Funds (Source: therogersvillereview.com)
Hometown Hero: Ella Robinson Fulfills Dream of Being Archer Elementary School Nurse (Source: wcjb.com)
School Board Honors Exceptional Students, Staff (Source: greenvilleadvocate.com)
Dental Program Provides Free Care at School (Source: yahoo.com)
Mansfield Public Schools Recognized as a MA School Wellness Champion District (Source: jgpr.net.com)

NASN2024 Key Details

Registration Rates

Join NASN first and save!

Justification Toolkit

See the FAQs.

Learning: NCPD info

View the agenda: In-Person, Virtual, and Posters.

See the Conference Blogs.

Knowledge-Sharing: Braindate info

NASN2024 is coming to you! Virtual NASN2024 brings valuable information right to you when and where you can easily access it. Past virtual conference attendees have loved the ease of attending online and said the virtual conference event was well-organized and informative.

Join us online July 8-10! Can't join those dates? All sessions will be recorded and available for viewing through October 11, 2024, so register and watch when you can!

Managing Chronic Health Conditions

Mental Health Challenges for Students With Seizures/Epilepsy

NASN's new no-cost NCPD program, Mental Health Challenges for Students with Epilepsy: Practice Considerations for School Nurses, provides school nurses with information on their role in caring for students with epilepsy. The program focuses on the impact, risk factors, health disparities, and incidence of mental health challenges specific to students with epilepsy. It also includes tools to identify mental health challenges, resources to support families and school staff, and interventions using MTSS and the School Nursing Practice Framework™ to improve school nursing practice.

Related Resources:

All are free for NASN members and non-members!

Improving School Community & Student Health

AAP Social Media and Youth Mental Health ECHO

Want to learn more about the risks and benefits of social media and how it impacts youth wellbeing? Want to help empower youth and families to create a better digital ecosystem for the individual child? The first session of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Social Media and Youth Mental Health ECHO: Strategies for Professionals is Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at 2 PM ET. Learn more, see a complete list of session dates, and register!

School-Based Health Center Playbook on Health Care Transition

The School-Based Health Alliance (SBHA) and Got Transition^®, in collaboration with an advisory group of school-based health center (SBHC) clinicians, administrators, and young adults, created this SBHC Health Care Transition (HCT) Playbook. The Playbook guides SBHCs and other school staff in assisting students with preparing for the transition from pediatric care to adult health care.

Related Resources:

NASN Position Statement: Transition Planning for Students with Healthcare Needs
NCPD Program: Transition for Students with Epilepsy: The Role of the School Nurse Panel Presentation
NCPD Program: Pediatric to Adult Care Transition for Students with Lupus – The School Nurse Role in Care Coordination and Transition Planning
Toolkit: Supporting Students with Epilepsy: A Transition Toolkit for School Nurses

National Scoliosis Awareness Month

Every June, National Scoliosis Awareness Month highlights the growing need for education, early detection, and awareness of scoliosis and its prevalence. The campaign also unites scoliosis patients, families, physicians, clinicians, institutions, and related businesses in collaborative grassroots networking throughout the month.

Mark Your Calendar

NASN Virtual Hill Day:

Call Congress

TODAY June 13

Call your Representative or Senator and ask them to Co-Sponsor the NURSE Act.

Use these talking points.

In-Person NASN2024

June 28 – July 1

This event promises expert speakers, outstanding presentations, and fun.

Learn more and register.

Virtual NASN2024

July 8 – 10 (online)

Flexibility is key; this virtual event allows you to learn from anywhere, anytime.

Learn more and register.

State Associations of School Nurses' Conferences

School Nurse Organization of Idaho 2024 Annual Conference - Building Our School Nurse Community - June 12-13, 2024. Learn more.

32nd Annual Georgia Association of School Nurses Conference - Wellness Champions: Empowering School Nurses Through the Sands of Time - June 12-13, 2024. Learn more.

South Dakota School Nurses Association Annual Conference - Stronger Together - July 17-18, 2024. Learn more.

35th Annual Statewide Summer Conference for Kansas School Nurses - Elevating Care in Kansas Schools - July 23-25, 2024. Learn more.

54th Annual Oklahoma School Nurse Summit - July 24-25, 2024. Learn more.

Vermont State School Nurses Association 41st Annual Conference for School Nurses - Connecting and Collaborating - August 5-7, 2024. Learn more.

NASN Calendar of Events

This calendar includes upcoming events hosted by NASN and NASN affiliate school nurse organizations. Access the calendar.

NASN 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.

OBSERVANCES CALENDAR

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NASN | nasn.org

June 13﻿, 2024﻿