Email from National Association of School Nurses Weekly Digest from NASN View as Webpage December 4, 2025 School Nursing Is a Profession NASN urges safeguarding that recognition and access to affordable graduate education. Your Go-To Guide for Today’s School Nurse Give yourself the gift of the latest edition of NASN's School Nursing: A Comprehensive Text. Latest from NASN See more. Upcoming Events See more. Weekly Digest Archive See past issues. President's Message It's National Influenza Vaccination Week! School nurses play a vital role in protecting the health of students, families, and staff by encouraging annual flu vaccination and sharing up-to-date, evidence-based information to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Flu vaccination continues to be recommended for everyone in the U.S. ages 6 months and older for the 2025–2026 season, with rare exceptions for those with contraindications. Awareness drives action. Families Fighting Flu—a national nonprofit dedicated to protecting children and communities—offers practical tools and educational materials to support healthy families throughout flu season. Join NASN and Families Fighting Flu in spreading the word about the importance of flu vaccination. Lynn Nelson, MSN, RN, NCSN NASN President Better Health. Better Learning.™   NASN News and Highlights New Issue of NASN School Nurse is Now Available In case you missed it, the November issue of NASN School Nurse features a powerful guest editorial and research articles that spark new thinking and learning. Highlights include: School Nurse Primer on Gender Identity and Transgender Youth: Part II Mitigating the Youth Vaping Epidemic Through Health Education   Paid advertisement Get both print and online access to NASN School Nurse when you join NASN. This peer-reviewed clinical journal delivers evidence-based articles, emerging issues, and innovations in school health, published six times a year. Join now to access this essential resource. Join NASN's Chief Clinical Officer for a Webinar on Reducing Health-Related Absences Preventable health issues and limited access to care keep far too many students out of school. On December 9 at 3 PM ET, NASN's Kimberly Stanislo, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, LSN, joins national experts for a webinar co-sponsored by Attendance Works and the Campaign for Grade Level Reading. The session will introduce a new Johns Hopkins–NASN–Attendance Works toolkit offering immediate, actionable strategies for schools and communities. Register today.   Treat Yourself (or a Colleague!) This Season Treat yourself—or a fellow school nurse—to something special this holiday season. The NASN Spirit Store is stocked with new goodies like cozy sweatshirt blankets, outerwear, and insulated tumblers, all designed to show off your school nurse pride year-round. Shop Now   The following are paid advertisements   Supporting Kids’ Mental Health: A Guide for Parents Provide parents with the tools to support their kids’ mental health and empower kids to say “NO” to unhealthy coping strategies like underage drinking. Learn more       Earn a PK-12 School Nurse Certificate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. As a School Nurse, you can greatly make a difference in the lives of young children, our most vulnerable members of the community. If you’re ready to embark on a rewarding journey in the field of school nursing, submit an application. Get started now.   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. Diabetes Awareness Month: Lindley Middle School Rallies Around Their Own (Source: cobbk12.org) El Paso ISD Nurse Named 2025 Texas School Nurse of the Year (Source: episd.org) Local School Nurses Equipped With Narcan as Opioid Crisis Reaches Classrooms (Source: 13abc.com) How School Support Staff are Feeding Hungry Students and Families (Source: nea.org) The Inside Scoop: Managing Diabetes in School Settings (Source: cobbk12.org) Beverly Middle School Nurse Vice Principal Save Choking Student (Source: facebook.com) District Shines Blue to Support World Diabetes Day (Source: pinebushschools.org) Southern Elementary School Nurse Jumps Into Action on Interstate (Source: news-graphic.com) Sandusky County Board of DD Celebrates Jody Amor’s Service (Source: portclintonnewsherald.com)   Managing Chronic Health Conditions Featured Learning Opportunity: Innovations in Diabetes Management School nurses play a crucial role in supporting students with diabetes, and NASN offers a range of resources—including our Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Toolkit and School Nursing Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline—to help. To complement these resources, consider this new educational activity with no contact hours focused on emerging technology in insulin delivery. From Data to Dialogue: A 56-Week Study of Inhaled Insulin in Pediatrics introduces inhaled insulin and its potential impact on students' daily diabetes management at school. It includes a brief orientation to using inhaled technosphere insulin, key findings from the 56-week INHALE-1 pediatric trial, and a Q&A addressing implications for school nursing practice. Related Learning: Inhaled Insulin on the Horizon: What School Nurses Need to Know   Improving School Community & Student Health New Resource: How Vaping Impacts Oral Health School nurses regularly see the effects of vaping in their communities. The new Chemical Insights blog, How Vaping Can Steal Your Smile, uncovers how vaping can undermine oral health—information school nurses can use for prevention and health education efforts and share with students, families, and school staff. Explore NASN's Vanquishing Vaping Toolkit, your evidence-based resource for addressing youth vaping and supporting prevention in school communities. Mentoring 101: A School Nurse Perspective As many veteran school nurses retire and new nurses enter the field, the need for strong mentorship has never been greater. This program, presented initially at Virtual NASN2024, equips you with practical tools, resources, and strategies to build effective mentoring structures that strengthen leadership, improve student health outcomes, and boost job satisfaction for school nurses. Join NASN and get this—plus 14 more on-demand school nurse-focused programs (17.0 NCPD contact hours)—free with membership. A $300 value that pays for itself instantly. Common Vaccine Myths and How to Recognize Them School nurses play a vital role in improving vaccination rates and understand how misinformation can fuel hesitancy. By pairing clear communication with empathy and trusted data, we can help families make informed decisions. Share Unity® Consortium's blog, How To Identify Inaccurate Information, to support families and teens in finding reliable health information online. Related Learning: Vaccine Hesitancy and the School Nurse's Role to Alleviate Parents' Concerns (1.0 NCPD contact hour)   Mark Your Calendar   Webinar—Healthy, Present, and Learning: Cross-Sector Strategies to Reduce Health-Related Absences December 9 Learn more and register. Save the Date: National School Nurse Day 2026 May 6, 2026 Stay tuned—the School Nurse Day proclamation and logo will be available in early 2026. Save the Date: NASN2026 Stronger Together  June 29 - July 2, 2026 Las Vegas, Nevada Caesars Palace   State Associations of School Nurses' Conferences Delaware School Nurse Association 2026 Spring Conference - March 7, 2026. Learn more. Maryland Association of School Health Nurses Annual Conference - Set Sail: Trends and Treatments in School Nursing Practice - March 14, 2026. Learn more. 2026 Alaska School Nurses Association Spring Conference - Northern Lights of School Nursing: Illuminating Best Practices - April 24-25, 2026. Learn more. Ohio Association of School Nurses 53rd Annual School Nurse Conference - April 17-18, 2026. Learn more.  2026 New England School Nurse Conference - Elevating Excellence - May 1-3, 2026. 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