Weekly Digest from NASN View as Webpage Weekly Digest NASN news & updates December 2, 2021 School Nurses: Take a COVID-19 Survey on Moral Distress and More Take the survey. NASN News and Highlights See more. Upcoming Events See more. Weekly Digest Archive See past issues. Follow Us on Social ‌ ‌ ‌ President's Message The first half of December is important to raise awareness around two things: National Handwashing Awareness Week and National Influenza Vaccination Week. It is NASN's position that immunizations are essential to primary prevention of disease from infancy through adulthood and that childhood vaccinations are an effective way of preventing serious childhood illnesses. NASN supports the elimination of all exemptions except those necessary for valid medical contraindications. School nurses are leaders who use evidence-based immunization strategies, such as School Located Vaccine (SLV) clinics, parent/guardian reminders about vaccine schedules, state immunization information systems (IIS), i.e., state registries, strong support of vaccination recommendations, and vaccine education for students, staff, and families. In addition, handwashing helps to reduce illness and is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can see NASN's Return to School Video Series and more here. Linda Mendonça, DNP, RN, PHNA-BC, NCSN, FNASN NASN President BETTER HEALTH. BETTER LEARNING. ™ NASN News and Highlights School-Located Vaccination Resources from NASN and AIM NASN partnered with the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) to develop resources for school-located vaccination. Learn more. NASN Resources: Opportunities to Improve Student & Community Health Through School-Located Vaccinations is available now in the NASN Learning Center. There is 1 CNE available and there is no cost for members and non-members. Paid advertisement 2022 NASN Election: See Who Is Running Become familiar with the candidates stepping forward to lead NASN. All candidates have completed the nominating committee process. In the upcoming election, NASN members will select a vice president and a nominating committee member. The election will be conducted online from March 15, 2022, to April 15, 2022. SEE THE CANDIDATES COVID-19 Survey – School Nurse Moral Distress and More School nurses are invited to take this survey, which is designed to learn more about school nurses' moral distress and information needs about the COVID-19 virus and vaccine, especially relating to school case management and parent questions and concerns about the vaccine. It should take you 15-20 minutes to complete. If you have questions about the survey, please contact Christina Baker at 720-220-8571 or email: [email protected]. TAKE THE SURVEY JOSN December Podcast and Article Now Available Martha Dewey Bergren, editor of the Journal of School Nursing, interviews author Rachel McClanahan in the December podcast to discuss their article, "Use of Licensed Vocational Nurses in California Schools: A Descriptive Study." Weekly Digest readers have complimentary access to the article for 60 days. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST COVID-19 Updates Holiday Celebration Guidance Holiday traditions are important. CDC has updated guidance to enjoy holiday traditions. School nurses can send information to caregivers to minimize COVID-19 risk. Updated Toolkit: Children and COVID-19 Vaccination Made to Save and the de Beaumont Foundation tested messaging with parents of children ages 5-11, and found that messages about health and community were most effective at increasing support for COVID-19 vaccination of this age group. Download the full tip sheet. Caregiver Ride Resource for COVID-19 Vaccination Getting access to the vaccine is a struggle for many. Lyft is mobilizing partners and community members to help provide access to millions of riders to and from vaccine appointments. Learn more and see if Lyft is available in your community. New Infographic Addresses Steps To Determine Close Contacts in K12 CDC has released a new infographic that illustrates the steps for determining close contacts within the K–12 school setting. The infographic also contains information on public health recommendations for close contacts, including whether they need to quarantine based on specific conditions. The Steps for Determining Close Contact and Quarantine in K–12 Schools infographic replaces the two decision trees previously included in the Toolkit for Responding to COVID-19 Cases. 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 & Student Health National Handwashing Awareness Week is the First Week of December Personal hygiene begins and ends with our hands. And though we’re taught as youngsters to wash our hands before dinner, it’s important to remember that germs don’t care what time of day it is. Clean hands prevent sickness. National Handwashing Awareness Week takes place each year during the first week of December. Check out activities and resources you can use in your school. NASN Resources: NASN has great handwashing hygiene resources including a series of videos that you can use as a tool to educate the school community about the importance of washing. New Issue Policy Brief Regarding Nurses Spreading Misinformation about COVID-19 Nurses are urged to recognize that dissemination of misinformation not only jeopardizes the health and well-being of the public but may place their license and career in jeopardy as well. The brief states, “It is an expectation of the U.S. boards of nursing, the profession, and the public that nurses uphold the truth, the principles of the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses and highest scientific standards when disseminating information about COVID-19 or any other health-related condition or situation.” Read the entire brief here. Urge Families to Get Flu Vaccine During Awareness Week National Influenza Vaccination Week is December 5-11. During recent flu seasons, 9 out of 10 people hospitalized with flu had at least one underlying health condition – that’s why getting an annual flu vaccine is especially important for people with certain chronic health conditions. Use these resources to bring awareness to your school community. NASN Resources: The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated this season. School nurses play a key role in getting the word out about the flu vaccine. Learn more about NASN's position on the flu vaccine. See all the NASN resources on immunizations here. Moses Taylor Foundation Creates Day in the Life of School Nurse Video Healthy kids set the stage for strong communities, and students who don’t feel well can’t reach their full potential. That is why school-based health is a strategic focus area for the Moses Taylor Foundation, and they are committed to supporting school nurses who are at the intersection of health and education. School nurses are highly trained medical professionals, yet most people don’t fully understand their role. Watch the video — "A Day in the Life of a School Nurse" — and share with administrators, educators, parents, and others to help illustrate the varied, robust, and important nature of our jobs. Mark Your Calendar Talking COVID Vaccine and Kids on TeamPeds Town Hall December 8, 8 p.m. ET Join the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners for the Town Hall featuring Kimbal Ford, PharmD, US Vaccines Medical Affairs Director for Pfizer. He will share information about Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine EUA for children and respond to questions. This event is free but pre-registration is required. Pre-register here. Vision for Baltimore: The Impact of School-Based Eye Care on Student Academic Performance December 14, 3 p.m. ET The National Center for Children’s Vision & Eye Health at Prevent Blindness invites you to join an “Ask the Author” webinar. This presentation will describe program implementation, as well as research findings about the prevalence of uncorrected vision disorders and the impact school-based eye care has had on student academic performance. Register today. Public Health Office Hours: Ask Me Anything with Dr. Alice Chen December 16, 12 p.m. ET Join the Made to Save health team and chat more about the COVID-19 vaccines and pandemic with Dr. Alice Chen. This is a great opportunity to ask any questions you have about the vaccines and the pandemic. Register today. 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. NASN | nasn.org National Association of School Nurses | 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 925, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]