“We need meaningful action to keep our schools safe, action that addresses what we know about gun violence in America’s schools and prevents it from occurring in the first place,” said Linda Mendonça, NASN President. View NASN's statement and list of resources.

LGBTQ Pride Month is celebrated each year in June. LGBTQ students in schools with more positive school climates were at lower risk of suicidality and reported fewer depressive symptoms. Being at the forefront of health in schools, school nurses have the opportunity to advocate for changes in school environments that promote positive mental health for all youth, including LGBTQ adolescents.

In this podcast, 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."

NASN continues to be interested in reaching out to the Healthy School Nurse community with suggested strategies to support the energy and resiliency of school nurses. The Healthy School Nurse Community in SchoolNurseNet provides a place where you can discuss how you model healthy living. Community involvement and support can help school nurses adapt and take on challenges as they arise. We hope you will join us and share any wellness tools or information you find helpful. 

In The Journal of School Nursing (JOSN) 2022 podcast, Martha Dewey Bergren, editor of The Journal of School Nursing, interviews author Beth Jameson to discuss the article, "Identification of Workload Measurement Indicators for School Nursing Practice."

This section highlights news stories featuring NASN and school nurses. If you have a story about school nurses you'd like us to consider including, please send it to us.

On May 27, the CDC released updated guidance for K-12 and early care and education (ECE) programs. CDC’s update brings this guidance in line with recommendations found in the COVID-19 Community Levels and provides a pathway for schools and ECE programs to prepare for summer programming and the upcoming school year. The updated guidance includes recommendations for prevention strategies for everyday operations, as well as prevention strategies to add based on the COVID-19 Community Level or when experiencing an outbreak in schools or ECE programs.

As children and teens continue to get vaccinated against COVID-19, CDC is excited to share new resources to promote the COVID-19 vaccine for children and teens for parents, vaccine providers, and partners. A new website for parents and caregivers includes information on COVID-19 vaccination for children and adolescents. Two new fact sheets are available in nine languages that can be printed and shared. In addition, a list of resources for vaccine providers is available to help support conversations with families about vaccination and highlight ways to improve vaccine accessibility for children, including those with disabilities and special healthcare needs. Jurisdictions, community partners, vaccine providers, and others can visit COVID-19 Vaccination for Children for up-to-date information and resources to help inform planning for pediatric vaccination. Please share these resources and updates with your network of providers, partners, and families.

School nurses are actively monitoring vaccine uptake for student populations. The Mayo Clinic has a resource to identify U.S. COVID-19 vaccine rates by state. This resource also reports U.S. COVID-19 vaccine rates by age. Learn more. 

COVID-19 Community Levels is a tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium, or high. Hospital beds in use, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area will determine community levels. School nurses can use the map of the U.S. by county to track the community level of transmission for your school(s), which is updated weekly.

Approximately 1.1 million children and adolescents are estimated to have Type 1 diabetes (T1D) globally, with an estimated 128,900 new cases annually (International Diabetes Foundation, 2019). Children with T1D spend 6 to 10 hours in school, and effective T1D management is integral to their short- and long-term health. This most recent evidence-based guideline gives school nurses working with students who have T1D practice recommendations, and strategies to provide quality care and improve the health and safety of those students. See the Guideline.

This course focuses on the technologies to manage diabetes, legal considerations, and expectations in the school setting related to technology, the role of the school nurse, and how to access resources as new technologies are introduced. Learn more and complete the course.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) brings a singular and comprehensive focus to childhood trauma. Traumatic experiences can initiate strong emotions and physical reactions that can persist long after the event. Explore these resources on School Shootings for school personnel developed by the NCTSN. They also offer resources for families and caregivers, healthcare providers, and more.

When it comes to preparing for safety, school communities need to develop and plan for all areas and needs. Here you will find the resources gathered by Safe and Sound Schools to help you — all organized by topic. Safe and Sound Schools is committed to protecting every school and every student, every day.

Good hygiene practices are an important strategy to keep everyone healthy in schools. School-based programs promoting hand hygiene can also result in fewer missed school days. The CDC and the CDC Foundation have developed this free, interactive, and bilingual online training on hand hygiene and cleaning specifically for school nurses, educators, administrators, and supporting personnel in K-12 schools. As we continue to focus on the importance of in-person education, let’s all work together to promote clean and healthy spaces for the safety of our kids and community. Get started with the training.

Across the United States, there are a variety of childhood lead exposure sources and risk factors. Children who live in households at or below the federal poverty level and those who live in housing built before 1978 are at the greatest risk of lead exposure. Learn more.

The Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients is comprised of organizations sending a unified message about headache and migraine diseases. Every June they dedicate the month to spreading awareness and education through various campaigns and initiatives, observed throughout the United States.

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