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Weekly Digest
NASN news & updates
April 15, 2021
NASN News and Highlights
Thank You for Participating
in CDC Survey
Last week in the Weekly Digest, we asked for school nurses’ help in completing a survey for CDC. In less than a week they met their goal of 1,000 participants. Amazing! Thank you so much for your participation.
Last Chance to Cast Your Ballot
The deadline to vote for NASN's school nursing leaders is TODAY, April 15. Make sure to cast your online ballot now.
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Get COVID-19 Vaccine Info for Parents, School Communities
As valuable and trusted voices, nurses have the power to influence the public. In partnership with other leading members of the nurse and medical communities, ANA has launched a new site to support your conversations about COVID-19 vaccines with parents and your school community.
NASN2021 Registration Open
We are very excited about getting together for NASN2021. This is NASN's annual event that brings together school nurses and others in the school community. We are ready to gather, to celebrate and to educate how school nurses are Leading the Way in Transforming Student Health.

Register by May 15, 2021 to get the Early Bird Rate!

New Podcast: The Impact of Positive School Climate on Suicidality and Mental Health Among LGBTQ Adolescents
Martha Dewey Bergren, editor of The Journal of School Nursing, interviews author April Ancheta to discuss their article, "The Impact of Positive School Climate on Suicidality and Mental Health Among LGBTQ Adolescents: A Systematic Review."
COVID-19 Updates
NASN Launches COVID-19 Interactive Tools
  • Can I Send My Student to School: Designed for school nurses to share with families, this interactive tool is based on CDC COVID-19 guidance and designed to guide families through assessing when their child should stay home from school.

  • How to Manage Difficult Conversations: A quick micro-burst of learning, this interactive module teaches school nurses a simple formula to use to respond effectively to challenging conversations.

NEW COVID-19 Resources
Additional COVID-19 Resources
Improving School Community and Student Health
Plan to Take Part in Every Kid Healthy Week, April 26-30
Every Kid Healthy Week is coming up from April 26-30. Check out these ways to celebrate with your students from Mindful Monday to Fitness Friday! At school, Every Kid Healthy Week events should promote and reinforce healthy habits, good nutrition, emotional health and physical activity. Learn more.
College Diabetes Network Has Info for Students Transitioning to College
The College Diabetes Network (CDN) has information your students, and their families, need as they start the transition to college. CDN has free digital guides for young adults with diabetes with medically reviewed information written by those who've navigated the transition to independence. Request your copies, in English or Spanish, here.

  • NASN Resources: NASN members have access to Danatech, which was developed to support the technology access and assessment needs of healthcare professionals who care for patients living with diabetes and other chronic conditions.
Help Parents Talk With Teens About E-Cigarettes
Try one of these sample text messages to get a teen’s attention and remind them of how smoking and vaping can impact their lives. Download the tip sheet.

  • NASN Resources: In these podcasts, NASN’s Executive Director Donna Mazyck is joined by youth leader Alyssa Williams, researcher Dr Karen Wilson, physician Dr Jose Torradas & NASN Nursing Education Specialist Elizabeth Clark to discuss vaping and how schools can prevent it. Listen now.
NASN2021 Updates

5-day Session/Event Lineup: Each day begins at 11:00 AM Eastern.

Poster Hall: Poster can be viewed on your own time for a full 90 days.

Exhibits and Product Demonstrations: This content can be viewed on your own time for a full 90 days.

Author Marc Brackett to Keynote NASN2021
Keynote speaker Marc Brackett, Ph.D., author of Permission To Feel, is the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a professor in the Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine at Yale University.

His grant-funded research focuses on:
  1. the role of emotions and emotional intelligence in learning, decision making, creativity, relationship quality, and mental health;
  2. the measurement of emotional intelligence; and
  3. the influence of emotional intelligence training on children’s and adults’ health, performance, and workplace performance and climate.

Marc has published 125 scholarly articles and has received numerous awards, including the Joseph E. Zins Award for his research on social and emotional learning and an honorary doctorate from Manhattanville College.

Opportunities & Networking
Pilot a New Opioid Misuse Program and Earn $25!
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. They are awarding $25 Amazon gift cards 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
Equipping State Leaders to Support School Nurses During COVID-19
Child Trends and NASBE are hosting a discussion series on opportunities for state health and education agencies to support the critical role of school nurses during COVID-19. Encourage your state leaders to attend. The series includes three sessions:
  • On April 15, from 3-4 p.m. ET, the session will review CDC guidance, state policy and reopening plans, and relevant research. Register here.
  • On April 29, from 3-4 p.m. ET, the session will include a facilitated peer learning exchange. Register here.
  • On May 13, from 3-4 p.m. ET, the session will include a panel discussion with the Healthy Schools Campaign, the National Association of School Nurses, and the National Association of State School Nurse Consultants. Register here.
Mark Your Calendar
Know the Risks: A Guide to Youth
and E-Cigarettes
April 20, 2021 1 p.m. EST

Alliance for a Healthier Generation hosts the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a deep dive into youth vaping. Join this 45-minute session to gain insight into e-cigarettes and the impact vaping can have on young people's health.

Through this session, participants will:
  1. Identify vaping devices and nicotine-containing liquid.
  2. Understand the prevalence of youth vaping and the impact it has on youth health.
  3. Recognize the factors that lead to youth e-cigarette use.
  4. Gain strategies, support and resource to address youth vaping at home or in school.

Facilitated by: Randi Frank, Public Health Analyst at the CDC.
Why Vision Matters for Children
with Special Needs
April 21, 2021 7 p.m. EST

Did you know that children with autism spectrum disorder, neurodevelopmental conditions
(such as ADHD, Down syndrome, and cognitive impairment), and systemic conditions (such
as diabetes) are at higher risk of having a vision disorder?

Join the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness in exploring the connection of vision and neurodevelopmental disorders, best practices for school nurses and early childhood education and care personnel for addressing and the role of primary care providers in offering guidance about vision to families.
NASN Calendar of Events

This calendar includes upcoming events hosted by NASN and NASN affiliate school nurse organizations. Access the 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. 
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