Weekly Digest from NASN View as Webpage Weekly Digest NASN news & updates March 11, 2021 NASN News and Highlights See more. Upcoming Events See more. Weekly Digest Archive See past issues. Follow Us on Social ‌ ‌ ‌ President's Message Did you know that more than 530 million children suffer from tooth decay in their primary teeth, which can lead to pain, infection, tooth loss, and missed school days? World Oral Health Day is coming up on March 20. Teaching good oral hygiene habits at a young age will help keep a child’s mouth healthy throughout life. School nurses can reinforce with children how to brush and care for their mouths properly. NASN has a number of resources on oral health that you can use with your students. In addition, since March is National Nutrition Month®, it's an important time to draw attention to the link between good nutrition and oral health. You can read more on that connection further in the Weekly Digest. Laurie Combe, MN, RN, NCSN NASN President BETTER HEALTH. BETTER LEARNING. ™ NASN News and Highlights Share Your Experience With Chronic Conditions NASN is conducting a needs assessment to better understand a few current practices related to chronic conditions, particularly seizures. We would appreciate you taking a few minutes to answer a few questions by March 17, 2021. Your answers will help guide the direction of the project. SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE Paid advertisement 2021 NASN Election Opens March 15 Are you a voting member? Don't miss your chance to vote in this year's election. Ballots may be cast online until April 15, 2021 at midnight EST. 2021 ELECTIONS Need More COVID-19 Info? Check Out NASN's New Reference Site NASN’s COVID-19 Reference contains condensed information and evidence-based references and resources designed to assist school nurses in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic as they formulate nursing judgement and participate in planning and policy development. COVID-19 REFERENCE Do You Have Telehealth In Your School? Tell Us About It The American Telehealth Association and NASN are partnering to identify promising practices for telehealth in schools. If telehealth is used in your school, please take a few minutes and answer a few questions and share more about it. The deadline to complete this is March 17. TELEHEALTH EXPERIENCE Are You Hiring? Let NASN Help Don't miss out on the best candidate for the job. Advertise your open positions in the NASN Employment Center: your recruitment solution. We offer packages that include resume bank access, posting for 30 days, and email distribution of your job posting. Hire smarter. You don't need all the candidates, you need the right ones. NASN EMPLOYMENT CENTER School Nurses in the News NASN and school nurses have been widely represented in the news media over the past few months and we are now including a section in the Weekly Digest to highlight some of those stories twice a month. If you have a story about school nurses you'd like us to consider including, please send it to us. Nurse shortage could make reopening school campuses more difficult (Source: EdSource) Pandemic Shines Spotlight on Vital Role of the School Nurse (Source: Nurse.com) One year later: School nurses navigate pandemic (Source: Sachse News) COVID-19 Updates Resources NASN COVID-19 Resource Site Interim Guidance: Role of the School Nurse in COVID-19 Testing in Schools Considerations for School Nurses: Health Equity Implications During the COVID-19 Pandemic CDC Vaccine Data Tracker New CDC guidance for healthcare workers and COVID-19 vaccines and CDC guidance for schools COVID-19 Diagnosis Screening Flow Chart Sample Tracking Tool Considerations for School Nurses in Planning for Students with Disabilities and Special Healthcare Needs in the Return to School Schools Reopening Decision Tool New CDC Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects CDC has new guidance on Possible Side Effects After a COVID-19 Vaccine, and When You Have Been Fully Vaccinated. School nurses can share the resources and reinforce the recommendation to continue CDC mitigation strategies in the school environment, such as physical distancing, mask wearing, and hand washing. COVID Resources New research was published online in the Journal of Aerosol Science and Technology that focused on the benefits of mobile air purifiers with HEPA filters in school settings. The use of mobile air purifiers with HEPA filters was shown to reduce the aerosolized load of particles in school settings. The research was in a high school and researchers found that the aerosol concentration was reduced by more than 90 percent within less than 30 minutes when running the purifiers. Learn more. Vaccinating Children against COVID-19 — The Lessons of Measles The New England Journal of Medicine published an important article, Vaccinating Children Against COVID-19- The Lessons of Measles. This article highlights the similarities between the past response to measles and COVID-19. It suggests clear information and equal access to vaccines when COVID-19 vaccines are available for the pediatric population. Learn more. Improving School Community and Student Health Assessing Social Influencers of Health and Education The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, the School-Based Health Alliance, and the National Center for School Mental Health are pleased to announce the release of "Assessing Social Influencers of Health and Education." This new brief highlights methods of screening and surveillance by which K-12 school-based staff and their community partners can assess SIHE and how this knowledge can inform actions and policies at all levels to support student health and academic outcomes. Good Nutrition is Key to Preventing Dental Caries The Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, (ASTDD) has published a new policy statement: Promoting Good Nutrition and Healthy Eating in Schools: An Important Strategy for Promoting Oral Health and Preventing Dental Caries. Dental caries is one of the most common, preventable chronic health conditions. The consumption of foods and beverages with high sugar content greatly contributes to this problem. School nurses are key advocates to educate students on healthy nutrition. NASN Resources: Oral Health Connections: School nurses report students seek their help for a wide range of oral health issues including dental caries, tooth and oral pain, jaw abscesses, orthodontic concerns, and problems with oral piercings. Forty percent of school nurses report they encounter students who avoid smiling or laughing because of oral health problems. Learn more. Additional Resources: National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign in March created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits is key to improving overall health. Learn more. National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® is the Last Week of March National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® (NDAFW), March 22-28, connects teens with resources to SHATTER THE MYTHS® about drugs and alcohol. School nurses can get activity ideas, Kahoot! games, and other materials to distribute to school families. Learn more. Managing Chronic Health Conditions Seizure Action Plan Support The Seizure Action Plan Coalition is working to raise awareness of what a Seizure Action Plan (SAP) is; the importance of a SAP in the health management of those with epilepsy; and resources to develop an individualized SAP. Learn more. Opportunities & Networking Enhancing School Mental Health Through TEAMS Program Application Offered by The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), in collaboration with the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH), applications for the TEAMS Program are due March 19, 2021 by 6 p.m. CST. The program will virtually run April 2021-May 2022, and provide training, resources, and technical assistance to LEAs interested in strengthening policies, practices, and infrastructure related to provision of school-based mental health services and supports. Contact Heather Stob at [email protected] with questions. Mark Your Calendar NCSSS Student Mental Wellness Virtual Summit 2021 March 25-26, 2021 Student mental wellness is critically important to everyone in a school community. NASN Executive Director Donna Mazyck, MS, RN, NCSN, CAE, FNASN, will offer the school nurse perspective at the NCSSS Student Mental Wellness Virtual Summit 2021 on the panel, It Takes a Village. Subscribers to the NASN Weekly Digest can attend the conference for a reduced rate of $99 by using code SMHS20 when you register. REGISTER Save the Dates Virtual NASN2021 June 21-25, 2021  Save the dates for Virtual NASN2021, June 21-25, 2021. More information and registration will be coming in March 2021! 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 2021 calendar. OBSERVANCES CALENDAR Acceptance of advertising on the ad banner 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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