Email from National Association of School Nurses Weekly Digest from NASN View as Webpage August 28, 2025 Grant and Scholarship Opportunities Just for NASN members—advance your career and profession. Learn more. Present, Inspire, Lead: NASN2026 Call for presentations now open — learn more and submit today!. Latest from NASN See more. Upcoming Events See more. Weekly Digest Archive See past issues. President's Message As National Immunization Awareness Month comes to a close, it is crucial to continue reminding the public that vaccines remain among the safest and most effective tools in modern medicine—protecting people of all ages and strengthening our communities. Timely, evidence-based guidance is essential, especially as schools reopen and the respiratory virus season nears. On August 19, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released an updated immunization schedule for children and adolescents, including new recommendations for RSV, influenza, and COVID-19. To support families, AAP has also published a parent- and caregiver-friendly guide on HealthyChildren.org. School nurses play a vital role in this work. We bring expertise and leadership in applying evidence-based immunization strategies, collaborating with families, health professionals, and school staff to prevent illness, reduce the spread of infectious diseases, and safeguard both student and community health. I also encourage you to check out Unity Consortium's latest FACTSinnated episode, featuring school nurse Alicia Warden, who discusses the school nurse role, the importance of vaccination, and steps to take to ensure children are safe, healthy, and ready to learn as we head back to school. Lynn Nelson, MSN, RN, NCSN NASN President Better Health. Better Learning.™   NASN News and Highlights Listen to the New JOSN Podcast Childhood homelessness is increasing and is associated with negative health and academic outcomes. While school nurses are in a key position to intervene, they face many barriers in providing the care and assistance these students and families need. In this month's Journal of School Nursing (JOSN) podcast, Heide Cygan, Associate Editor of JOSN, interviews author Samantha Starkey to discuss the article, "School Nurse-Led Health Assessment for Students Experiencing Homelessness: A Quality Improvement Project". Listen now. Stay up to date! Sign up for New Content Alerts from JOSN to be in the know on the latest issues and articles published online.   Paid advertisement Putting the Framework Mindset Into Practice The NASN School Nursing Practice Framework™ (Framework) is a visual representation of five overlapping principles that encapsulate evidence-based school nursing activities. The NASN School Nurse "Practicing with a Framework Mindset" series provides an in-depth look at each of the principles and emphasizes how school nurses can apply them to their daily practice. Here are the articles currently available in the series: A Closer Look at the Standards of Practice Principle A Closer Look at the Principle of Care Coordination A Closer Look at the Principle of Leadership A Closer Look at the Principle of Quality Improvement NASN membership includes journal subscriptions and access to full-text articles online. Empowering School Nurses Through Virtual Learning: NASN2025 Access expert-led sessions, earn 20.0 nursing continuing professional development contact hours, and boost your confidence—all from anywhere. Registration for Virtual NASN2025 has been extended through September 30, giving you access to all event recordings filled with actionable strategies through October 10. Whether you are starting your first year or your fifteenth, now is the perfect time to invest in yourself—and in your students. Register today!   The following are paid advertisements   See what 7 out of 10 pediatricians prescribe for head lice! Learn more       Facing pinworm infection at your school? Reese’s Pinworm Medicine can help. Doctor Recommended Reese’s Pinworm Medicine treats the entire family (age 2+) with prescription-strength pyrantel pamoate. Printable resources and mail-in rebates are available to share with families. Learn more   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. Vaccine Exemption Requests in Texas Spike in July, as Some Experts Fear More Families Will Opt Out (Source: texastribune.org) Alpine School District, Intermountain Health Partner to Provide Bleeding Control Training to Staff (Source: ksl.com) Kiwanis Clubs Provide Lebanon Area School Nurses With Needed Items (Source: lebtown.com) Cardinal Spotlight (Source: southsideisd.org) Religious Exemptions for School Vaccinations Have Been Growing Since COVID (marylandmatters.org) Millcreek Township Nurse Traded Caring for Newborns to Helping Middle-School Students (Source: yahoo.com) Tokeneke Elementary’s Nurse Kim Cares for Kids — and Her Community (Source: patch.com) Equipping Horry County students to save lives with CPR (Source: newsroom.heart.org)   Managing Chronic Health Conditions Addressing the Overlap: Epilepsy and Mental Health For people living with epilepsy, mental health problems can be common. NASN's new free, enduring webinar explores The Mental Health Toolkit for School Nurses Caring for Students with Epilepsy. Learn how to apply the toolkit's current evidence-based information, screening tools, assessments, and nursing process–based strategies to build your confidence and competence in supporting students with epilepsy and related mental health concerns—while earning 1.0 NCPD contact hour. Learn more and complete the program today. Related Resources: The online learning course Incorporating Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) into School Health Services to Promote Health Equity outlines the differences between the three tiers of MTSS and identifies strategies to use when implementing the three tiers in school health services to support student physical and mental health and meet social needs using an elementary school case study focused on a student with epilepsy. Make a Difference in the Fight Against Myopia School nurses understand that vision and eye health are foundational to opportunity and learning. Myopia is the most common vision disorder among children, and when left undetected, it leads to learning challenges and higher risks of long-term eye disease. As advocates for children's success and well-being, we are pleased to share the latest op-eds from The Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety (HCAPS) for you to read and share to educate yourself and others. The Growing Myopia Epidemic Threatening Our Children's Success The Crucial Role of Childhood Vision Assessments: Protecting the Foundation of a Child's Future   Improving School Community & Student Health Clean Air School Challenge: Sign Up Now! The American Lung Association's Clean Air School Challenge empowers public and charter K-12 schools nationwide to develop comprehensive Energy Efficient Indoor Air Quality Management Plans. The Clean Air School Challenge offers tools and resources to support schools in developing and maintaining their plans, including school assessment forms, mini-grants, training, mentorship, technical assistance, and recognition. If you are ready for your school to join, complete the sign-up form. Medicaid Cuts Could Fuel Chronic Absenteeism A new Healthy Schools Campaign blog highlights comments from school district leaders across the country who have raised concerns about the impact Medicaid cuts will have on school efforts to address chronic absenteeism and elevates key recommendations from the report, "All in for Attendance: Collective Action for Public Health Strategies That Address Chronic Absence," developed by Attendance Works, Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health, and Kaiser Permanente. The relationship between Medicaid and school nurses is significant, as Medicaid provides vital healthcare access where children spend most of their day. Watch our Medicaid Matters videos for real-life stories from school nurses around the country. More Than a Band-Aid: The Impact of School Nurses By amplifying the vital role of school nurses, we can ensure that public investment and policies truly reflect community priorities and student needs. In their newest blog, UNITY Consortium highlights how school nurses protect against preventable illness, support mental health, and help build stronger, healthier communities. Read the blog.   Mark Your Calendar   Virtual NASN2025 Registration Extended! The registration deadline is now September 30. Start the school year strong—Register Now! NASN2025: Deadline to Earn NCPD for Both In-Person and Virtual October 10 Earn NCPD for: In-Person Virtual Deadline: NASN2026 Presentation Submissions October 11 Learn more and submit your proposal. Application Deadline: NASN Scholarships October 15 Learn more and apply. Proposal Submission Deadline: NASN Research Grants October 31 Learn more and submit.   State Associations of School Nurses' Conferences 2025 Texas School Nurses Organization Conference - School Nurses: Innovating School Health - November 1-2. Learn more. Virginia Association of School Nurses Fall Conference 2025 - Charting the Course: Navigating the Future of School Nursing - November 8-9. Learn more. Tennessee Association of School Nurses Fall Conference 2025 - Bridging the Gap - November 9-11. Learn more. 2025 Indiana Association of School Nurses Annual Conference - Building Bridges - November 10-11. Learn more. West Virginia Association of School Nurses 2025 Fall Conference - November 13-15. Learn more. Utah School Nurse Association Fall Conference - November 14. Learn more. School Nurse Organization of Minnesota 2025 Conference - November 14-15. Learn more. Delaware School Nurse Association 2025 Fall Conference - November 20. 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 2025 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.   NASN | nasn.org National Association of School Nurses | 1100 Wayne Avenue Suite 925 | Silver Spring, MD 20910 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice