Weekly Digest from NASN View as Webpage Weekly Digest NASN news & updates March 18, 2021 NASN News and Highlights See more. Upcoming Events See more. Weekly Digest Archive See past issues. Follow Us on Social ‌ ‌ ‌ President's Message Many schools are still closed or have been closed for nearly a year. That means they must focus now, this spring, on building or creating healthier facilities to fully reopen for all in fall 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the lack of clean air and lack of sanitation in schools. National Healthy Schools Day will be celebrated on April 6, 2021, and the theme for this year is Clean Air in Every School. Check out materials you can use to support this initiative in your school as well as resources to use. Laurie Combe, MN, RN, NCSN NASN President BETTER HEALTH. BETTER LEARNING. ™ NASN News and Highlights NASN partners with ANA Vaccine Facts for Nurses The American Nurses Association (ANA) and 19 nursing and healthcare organizations are joining together to announce a new vaccine education campaign: COVID Vaccine Facts for Nurses. Critical, current, and culturally sensitive COVID-19 vaccine information will be available to the nation’s nurses on the frontlines of the pandemic. NASN is a partnering organization to share resources and answers to common questions. READ MORE Paid advertisement Vote Now in NASN's 2021 Election The online ballot is now open to vote for NASN's school nursing leaders. Voting is open through April 15, 2021. Learn more about the candidates before voting. VOTE NOW NASN Launches New Meet the Editor Bimonthly Web Meeting Series The Journal of School Nursing Editor, Dr. Martha Dewey Bergren, will share her plans for this bimonthly peer-reviewed forum and will field comments and questions from aspiring authors during this interactive web meeting. SEATING IS LIMITED to the first 100 slots! Join us at 3:30 p.m. EST March 24, 2021. REGISTER NOW Congress Passes American Rescue Plan On March 10, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan, President Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package that will provide critical funding for schools to support reduced class sizes, modified spaces to comply with social distancing, modernized HVAC systems, the addition of more school buses, and the hiring of more school staff (e.g., custodians, school nurses, counselors, bus drivers). The funding can also be used to add supports to address student trauma. LEARN MORE 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 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. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Incidence A newly released MMWR, Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Incidence by Age, Sex, and Period Among Persons Aged <25 Years — 16 U.S. Jurisdictions, January 1–December 31, 2020 highlights the racial and ethnic minority groups incidence of COVID-19 for persons less than 25 years. Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, American Indian, Alaska Native, and Hispanic persons had the largest disparities as compared to white counterparts. School nurses can advocate for safe educational environments to address disparities in vulnerable populations. March is School and Childcare Staff COVID-19 Vaccination Month Below are CDC resources you can use to help get the word out about nationwide efforts to vaccinate teachers, school staff, and childcare providers against COVID-19. There is a communication toolkit with posters, fact sheets, newsletter articles, social media graphics, and “I Got My COVID-19 Vaccine” stickers. The web page has the latest information for teachers, school staff, and childcare providers on how to get vaccinated. Is it Safe to Reopen Schools? A new report looks at 120 research studies from North America, the UK, and Europe on school openings. The findings suggest that attending school does not increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission for students if mitigation strategies are followed. The health risks to students are far greater if they do not attend school. Learn more. Improving School Community and Student Health The Tie Between Oral Health and Nutrition 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. Managing Chronic Health Conditions 2019 YRBS Data Show Connection Between Health and Academic Achievement Data from the 2019 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey continue to show a significant connection between better student grades and healthy dietary behaviors and physical activity. Although it is important to remember that these associations do not prove causation, the data can encourage schools to reinforce policies and practices that support healthy eating and physical activity to help children reach their full potential. CDC fact sheets summarizing the data are available online and can be accessed from the CDC Healthy Schools website. Opportunities & Networking Feedback Needed for Pilot Opioid Misuse Program Researchers at The University of North Carolina Greensboro and Prevention Strategies have been awarded funding from the National Institutes of Health to develop and pilot test an online prescription opioid misuse prevention program and need feedback from healthcare workers including school nurses. $25 Amazon gift cards will be given to the first 200 people to pilot test this program. To learn more about this study and participate, click here and enter the following username and password to access more information about the study: Username: psop Password: pilot1 Last Call for Those With Telehealth (We Want to Know the Good and Bad!) 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 to answer a few questions and share more about your experience. The survey timeline has been extended through March 25. Mark Your Calendar American Academy of Pediatrics Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Education Series  This free education series on PediaLink includes 5 modules highlighting the updated care considerations and emerging therapies related to the care and management of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) (Pediatrics Supplement, October 2018).The series emphasizes the common issues affecting children with DMD and the role of health professionals as effective partners in providing coordinated care for individuals living with DMD. Learn more and view detailed session descriptions by visiting www.aap.org/DMD. For more information, contact Nkem Chineme at [email protected]. American Academy of Pediatrics Spina Bifida Webinar Series Spina bifida is the most commonly occurring complex congenital birth defect and has been associated with increasing survival rates. This free webinar series addresses important care guidelines, and highlights the critical role of clinicians in caring for individuals with spina bifida. Learn more and access the webinars by visiting the American Academy of Pediatrics Spina Bifida page. For more information, contact Nkem Chineme at [email protected]. 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 National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools 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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