August 25, 2022

NASN's Telehealth Position Statement Updated

A substantial number of students experience health disparities correlated to a lack of access to primary and specialty services and school nurse services. It is the position of NASN that the utilization of telehealth technology is a valuable tool that can assist school nurses in enhancing access to school and community health services. The school nurse is on the frontlines of student health and has the expertise to provide a critical link and oversight to implement telehealth in the school setting (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [NASEM], 2021).

Read the full Position Statement and view NASN's entire list of Position Statements.

Paid advertisement

Now that the CDC has revised its COVID-19 guidance to help the public better protect themselves and understand their risk, there's still a concern about what this means for schools as students return. Listen to the Town Square with Ernie Manouse interview with NASN's Executive Director, Donna Mazyck, MS, RN, NCSN, CAE, FNASN. In this episode, “Health and safety tips for students returning to school,” Mazyck discusses childhood vaccinations, nutrition, the role of school nurses, and more.

Kate King, NASN President-elect, and Matt Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, joined forces and spoke to FOX 5 DC about combatting youth vaping as students return to school. King details the physical and mental health risks and offers tips for parents and caregivers to recognize e-cigarette use. King and Myers also teamed up to join Local 21 CBS News, WHP Harrisburg, to highlight the risks of vape pens for youth and the urgent need for the FDA to ban flavored e-cigarettes.

King spoke on Queen City News Now to talk about the dangers of teen and adolescent vaping and the flavored e-cigarettes that are so readily available. "We have to stop manufacturing and we have to stop the sale of these products!" View the interview. And continue reading the Weekly Digest to find youth tobacco/vaping trainings and resources.

School nurses are critical components of school-based interdisciplinary teams supporting student behavioral health. In The Journal of School Nursing (JOSN) article, School Nurse Management of Behavioral Health, Violence, and Trauma-Related Emergencies: Findings from a Statewide Survey, survey findings reaffirm the essential role of school nurses in addressing emergent student health issues and underscore the need for practice- and competency-based behavioral health CE opportunities. 

In The JOSN August 2022 Podcast, JOSN Editor Martha Dewey Bergren interviews author Colleen McGovern to discuss the article, "Sustained Effects From a School-Based Intervention Pilot Study for Children With Asthma and Anxiety." 

Paid advertisement

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.

• Alabama schools chief wants $799 million more in funding for counselors, nurses, principals (Source: al.com)
• School nurse, guidance counselor share how roles changed in schools during pandemic (Source: nbc29.com)
• East Clinton Schools may bring a nurse practitioner on-site (Source: wnewsj.com)
• Stop the Bleed: La Crosse school nurses learn life-saving measures as school shootings rise (Source: news8000.com)
• Health in school-aged children and collaborating with school nurses (Source: pahomepage.com)
• 'An ongoing problem': Midlands school districts battling nurse shortage in new school year (Source: wach.com)
• First responders: Today's school nurses cover the waterfront of health concerns (Source: toledoblade.com)
• Bryan ISD Students, Teachers, Nurses, And A School Resource Officer Are Recognized For Saving The Life Of A Bryan High Student (Source: wtaw.com)

New NASN Blog: Evidence for Symptom-Based Medication Adjustment for Mild Persistent Asthma

"NASN wants to call attention to an evidence update for Treating Mild Persistent Asthma in Children that could be added to your toolbox when supporting students and their families with decision-making about effective asthma management – especially for African-American students who carry a disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality from asthma," writes Nichole Bobo, MSN, RN, NASN Director of Nursing Education, in a recent blog post.

"School nurses are trusted healthcare professionals in the community. Integrating research findings into practice exemplifies the Standards of Professional Performance - Scholarship Inquiry - for school nurses."

Course: A School Nurse-Led Initiative to Address Chronic Absenteeism

Stories from across the country indicate that school nurses decrease absenteeism and address chronic absenteeism. NASN received a CDC contract to develop a tool/process to assist school nurses in addressing chronic absenteeism for health-related reasons and help identify students with chronic undiagnosed conditions. The evidence‐based tool/process developed based on best practices related to chronic absenteeism and management of chronic conditions in the school setting was reviewed by experts in the field. This presentation shares the tool/process, experiences, and tips from the school nurses in four states who've piloted it. The offering also shares how the experience and data helped elevate the value of the school nurse and allowed them to advocate more for students. Learn more and complete the course.

• The School Nurse-Led Surveillance of Chronic Absenteeism Manual guides school nurses in addressing health-related absences. The manual includes a standardized, evidence-based procedure for school nurses to address health-related absences and chronic absenteeism.
• Learn more about The School-Based Active Surveillance Project, which relies on school nurses to help track chronic absenteeism, as a way to better understand how many students may struggle with chronic illnesses, including ME/CFS.

On August 11, 2022, the CDC updated the Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning highlighting the prevention principles to minimize the individual and societal impacts of COVID-19. Additionally, the CDC has published guidance on Ventilation in Schools and Childcare Programs, including an Interactive School Ventilation Tool that shows how particle levels change as you adjust ventilation settings. 

The Biden Administration recently released Back to School 2022: Giving Every School the Tools to Prevent COVID-⁠19 Spread and Stay Safely Open All Year Long. As part of the fact sheet, the Administration has once again called on all school districts to host at least one school-located vaccine (SLV) clinic at the start of the school year. SLVs are an important strategy to improve the health of students. Find SLV resources from NASN and NASN's partners here.

CDC’s COVID-19 State of Vaccine Confidence Insights Report #27 emphasizes major themes influencing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and uptake, categorized by their level and type of threat to vaccine confidence, degree of spread, and directionality. The Insights Report seeks to identify emerging issues of misinformation, disinformation, and places where intervention efforts can positively impact vaccine confidence across the United States.

Identifying Youth Tobacco Use and Supporting Cessation Training

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), with funding from the American Heart Association, is providing trainings for school health professionals to identify youth tobacco use and support cessation. The trainings adapt the AAP “Ask – Counsel – Treat” cessation counseling model into an educational curriculum for school nurses and other school health personnel. Five 3-hour trainings will be held throughout the 2022-2023 school year. Register now for the fall trainings held on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, from 5-8 p.m. CT, and Monday, December 5, 2022, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. CT. 

CDC recently published a Frequently Asked Questions resource concerning monkeypox for schools and other congregate settings serving children and adolescents. Learn more and view the FAQ.

The School Health Profiles (Profiles) is a system of surveys conducted biannually since 1996 in states, large urban school districts, and territories. Profiles measures progress in the implementation of school policies and practices to help improve the health of school-aged youth. View 2020 Profiles results. 

E-cigarette use among youth remains a problem. The FDA’s toolkit for professionals working with youth will provide the information you need to help educate your community about e-cigarettes and their effects on adolescents. Order, download, or print your copy today and share it with your sphere of influence.

• NASN Resources: NASN offers the Vanquishing Vaping Toolkit full of information and resources to support school nurses in implementing evidence-based programs in their schools. You can also check out Vaping the Next Chapter - Utilizing Effective Tools and Resources to Combat E-cigarettes in Your School! in the NASN learning center.

Inspire youth to prepare with FEMA’s updated Student Tools for Emergency Planning (STEP) Curriculum, a modular emergency preparedness curriculum with fun activities that can be used in many different settings, inside and outside school. For students in fourth grade and above, the program guides students on how to create emergency kits and family communication plans while teaching students about disasters, from severe weather to wildfires.

International Overdose Awareness Day is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died, and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind. View the 2022 campaign materials and share the message with your community to help prevent overdose.

• NASN Resources: View NASN's Naloxone in Schools Toolkit, offering resources to assist school nurses and other school leaders in evaluating and responding to the opioid epidemic appropriately, and the NASN Position Statement on Naloxone in the School Setting.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). Use NIAM as an opportunity to access CDC educational resources like the #HowIRecommend Video Series, which offers simple and practical guidance for having successful vaccine conversations with parents and patients.

• NASN Resources: Visit NASN's Immunizations page to find vaccine resources for school nurses, including the Immunization Transition Toolkit, developed for use during student transitions within school systems, the NASN School Nurse Supplement on School-located Vaccination Clinics, and more!

• Illinois Association of School Nurses Annual Conference - 65 Years of Improving Child Health Outcomes: School Nurses Leading the Path Towards Health Equity - September 30-October 1 - Learn more and Register

• Florida Association of School Nurses Face to Face 27th Annual Conference - Celebrating School Nurses in Supporting Student Success - October 14-15 - Learn more and Register

• Kansas School Nurses Organization - 46th Annual Governor's Conference for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect - October 11-20 - Learn more and Register

• Tennessee Association of School Nurses Fall 2022 Conference - Advancing the Professional Practice of the School Nurse: One Life at a Time - November 2-3 - Learn more and Register

• Texas School Nurse Organization Conference -Promoting student health by building resiliency - November 4-6 (Save the Date) Learn more

• Virginia Association of School Nurses Fall Conference - 36th Annual Fall Conference - November 5-6 (Save the Date) Learn more

• West Virginia Association of School Nurses Annual Fall Conference - Back to Basics - November 10-12 - Learn more

• Overseas School Health Nurse Association Spring Conference 2023 - March 26-27, 2023 - Learn more and Pre-register