August 1, 2024

President's Message

NASN believes that immunizations are essential for preventing disease across all age groups and that school nurses are leaders who use evidence-based immunization strategies, such as School-Located Vaccine (SLV) clinics, parent/guardian reminders about vaccine schedules, state immunization information systems, strong support of vaccination recommendations, and vaccine education for students, staff, and families.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. School nurses play a crucial role in educating and ensuring children are up-to-date and compliant with school vaccination requirements. Check out NASN's Immunization resources, including the NCPD program Immunization 101: A Primer on School-Recommended Vaccinations and The Public Health Foundation's toolkit to learn more about supporting routine vaccination catch-up for school-aged children.

Kate King, DNP, MS, RN, LSN

NASN President

Better Health. Better Learning.™

NASN News and Highlights

NASN on Panel at Enhancing Student Support Webinar

On August 22 at 2 PM ET, NASN's Karen Graf will join experts from The American Academy of Pediatrics and The Collaborative for Advancing Health Equity in Out-of-School Time (OST) for the Enhancing Student Support: Leveraging OST and School Partnerships for Youth with Chronic Health Conditions webinar, to share best practices and tools to tap into existing systems and supports and coordinate more effectively to promote the health, wellness, and safety of youth. Learn more and register .

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Human Trafficking and the Role of School Nurses

All children in the US are at risk of being groomed, forced, defrauded, or coerced into a human trafficking situation. The new blog, Human Trafficking Could Happen Anywhere, Here's How We Can Be Equipped to Respond, explores health impacts imposed by child trafficking, implications for school nurses, and the adoption of a district-wide response plan project.

Related Resources:

NASN's position statement on Human Trafficking
Toolkit for Building a Human Trafficking School Safety Protocol from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office on Trafficking in Persons.

This Sage Perspectives blog highlights an article from The Journal of School Nursing, NASN's official research publication. NASN membership includes an online subscription.

Learn More About Journal Subscriptions and Other Benefits of Membership Now.

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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.

Measles Outbreaks Have More Than Tripled. How Schools Can Help (Source: edweek.org)
MDH Survey Finds Less Than Half of Schools Have No Professional Nurses on Staff (Source: kstp.com)
Elks Present Gratitude Grant to HSSD Elementary Nurses (Source: hotsr.com)
SCCPSS Shares Medical Tips to Keep in Mind During Back-To-School Season (Source: wtoc.com)
Florence Schools Receive AED Units (Source: ironmountaindailynews.com)

Managing Chronic Health Conditions

Addressing the Ongoing Youth Mental Health Crisis

School nurses collaborate with other school healthcare professionals and community providers to support upstream approaches to improving students' mental well-being. Explore NASN's Mental Health page, which offers resources to help you prevent, recognize, react to, and understand the signs of mental health problems among youth.

The Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force, co-led by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), released a new report with recommendations and best practices for safer social media and online platform use for youth. The recommendations in the report, Online Health and Safety for Children and Youth: Best Practices for Families and Guidance for Industry, underscore efforts to address the ongoing youth mental health crisis.

Related Resources:

NASN's position statement on Prevention and Intervention of Bullying and Cyberbullying in Schools
NASN's NCPD program The Biopsychosocial Impact of Tech Dependence: It's Putting Us At Risk

Improving School Community & Student Health

Now Recruiting – AAP Back to School Ready: Supporting Pediatric Mental Health ECHO

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recruiting for the AAP Back to School Ready: Supporting Pediatric Mental Health ECHO, the first session of which will be held on August 19, 2024, at noon ET. Learn more, see a complete list of session dates, and register to increase your knowledge, confidence, and skills in supporting children and adolescents with common mental and behavioral health concerns as they transition into the upcoming school year.

Epilepsy Alliance America's Back-to-School Webinar

A new school year is beginning, and with it, the potential for new challenges and concerns, especially for caregivers of students with epilepsy. Join Epilepsy Alliance America for an informative webinar on Thursday, August 22, 2024, at 7 PM ET to hear from pediatric neurology clinicians and family advocates. Learn more and register.

Related Resources: Explore NASN’s Epilepsy Practice Page and discover numerous professional development offerings, toolkits, and more, including Rare Seizure Disorders: Practice Considerations for School Nurses, which offers 1.0 NCPD contact hours and is free for NASN members!

AAP TEAMS Program for School Districts Request for Applications

AAP is accepting applications from school districts for the Enhancing School-based Health and Mental Health Services through Training, Assistance, Mentorship, & Support (TEAMS) Program cohort. This cohort will focus on increasing physical, mental, and/or emotional well-being among students and staff. The program will run from September 2024 to May 2025. Learn more and apply by Friday, August 23, 2024.

Mark Your Calendar

Webinar: Enhancing Student Support: Leveraging OST and School Partnerships for Youth with Chronic Health Conditions

August 22

Guest speakers - including NASN - discuss creating intentional processes and partnerships to support youth with chronic health conditions.

Learn more and register.

Deadline to Earn NCPD for Both In-Person and Virtual NASN2024

October 11

NASN encourages you to evaluate activities while the information is fresh in your mind. To earn contact hours, complete a brief assessment and evaluation of the sessions.

Steps to receive NCPD contact hours.

State Associations of School Nurses' Conferences

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

School Nurse Organization of Washington Fall In-Person Conference - Getting to the Core - October 11-12, 2024. Learn more.

Tennessee Association of School Nurses Fall Conference - November 6-7, 2024. Save the Date!

Colorado Association of School Nurses Fall Conference - November 8-10, 2024. Save the Date!

Virginia Association of School Nurses Conference 38th Annual Fall Conference - Virginia School Nurses: Navigating Wellness - November 9-10, 2024. Learn more.

West Virginia Association of School Nurses Fall Conference 2024 - November 14-16, 2024. Save the Date!

Indiana Association of School Nurses Fall Conference - School Nurses Stewards of Student Health - November 20-21, 2024. Save the Date!

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

Acceptance of advertising on the top or bottom ad banner or other ad placements in this newsletter or resource information listed within in no way implies endorsement of advertised or listed products or services by NASN.

No endorsement is intended or implied.

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