Weekly Digest

NASN news & updates

August 19, 2021

President's Message

It's back-to-school season, and it's also time for NASN to begin planning for next year's conference!

The NASN2022 oral and poster abstract submission form is officially open, and we encourage you to review the details and submit an abstract for a breakout, workshop, preconference, general, or poster session.

And, while you are considering submitting an abstract, make sure you save the dates for NASN2022: June 28 - July 1, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia. We hope to see you in 2022!

Linda Mendonça, DNP, RN, PHNA-BC, NCSN, FNASN

NASN President

BETTER HEALTH. BETTER LEARNING. ™

NASN News and Highlights

The Behavioral Health and Wellness of Students

It is NASN's position that student behavioral health and wellness must be prioritized for students to successfully access and engage in educational opportunities. It is imperative that school systems respond to, and address, student behavioral health and wellness to ameliorate disparities related to the social determinants of health (Combe, 2019). School nurses are often the initial access point to identify concerns, determine interventions, and link families to school and/or community resources.

POSITION STATEMENT

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Promoting School Nurses as Leaders in Reopening Schools

The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) published a resource for school nurse advocacy titled “Promoting School Nurses as Leaders in Reopening Schools”. Learn more about leveraging federal funds for school health services.

COVID-19 Updates

Updated CDC Guidance on Masking

Due to the circulating and highly contagious Delta variant, CDC recommends universal indoor masking by all students (age 2 and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Learn more

Resources to Share With School Families

Please share with stakeholders in your communities. Anyone looking to get a vaccine can use the resources below to get additional information:

Text to find a vaccine. Text your zip code to 4-3-8-8-2-9 to get three locations near you with vaccines in stock. If you prefer your information in Spanish, text your zip code to 8-2-2-8-6-2.
Visit Vaccines.gov. Find locations, sort by specific vaccines, and get more information on how to make an appointment.
Call the hotline. The National COVID-19 Vaccination Assistance Hotline can be reached at 1-800-232-0233 to get help in English, Spanish, and more than 150 other languages. It also has a TTY line to support access by hearing.

NEW COVID-19 Resources

New Return to School Guidance from AAP

As the next school year begins, there needs to be a continued focus on keeping students safe and in school.

New CDC Guidance for K-12 Schools: Strategies to reduce the spread on COVID-19 in schools and maintain safe operations includes an updated science brief for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in schools.

CDC COVID-19 Viral Testing Tool is an interactive web tool designed to help both healthcare providers and individuals understand COVID-19 testing options.

NASN's 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.

COVID-19 and Students, Frequently Asked Questions: A resource designed to answer some questions families may have about students' health during COVID-19 and to support families with links to find additional resources.

Improving School Community and Student Health

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

School nurses are front-line advocates for students’ health in many countries. Read a blog post by NASN Executive Director Donna Mazyck, "School Nurses as Advocates for Children’s Eye Health."

Advocates for Youth knows that clinicians often face challenges meeting the sexual health needs of their adolescent patients. They recently released Virtual PD, a simulated environment (classroom, health care exam room, and office) where professionals can practice with youth avatars using short scenarios and support from an instructional coach, so they can quickly learn and master the skills they need to be effective. Sign up now.

Apply Now for $750 in Funding for Food Allergy Education

FARE is offering awards of up to $750 to schools and nonprofit organizations serving Title 1/Title-1-eligible students/schools. The funds can be used for food allergy education and training during the 2021 back-to-school season and may include:

purchasing food allergy-focused books, education materials and/or non-food giveaways;
purchasing food allergy-related materials or items specifically for the cafeteria or health office;
and training staff, with a focus on responding to an allergic reaction and inclusion of students with food allergies in all activities.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Learn more and apply here.

Opportunities & Networking

Submit Your Abstract Now for NASN2022!

The NASN2022 Oral and Poster abstract submission form is officially open.

If you have an abstract for a breakout, workshop, preconference, general or poster session, please consider submitting it. The deadline is October 11, 2021.

Begin with the call for abstract submission details on NASN.org. NASN looks forward to receiving a diverse group of submissions to fill out the conference schedule.

Mark Your Calendar

The Continued Role of Hand Hygiene and Cleaning and Disinfection in Schools

1 p.m. EDT Thursday, September 9

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

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