December 8, 2022

Many kids have spent years socially distancing themselves to protect against COVID-19, and now healthcare systems are inundated with cases of RSV and flu. In a CNN Health article, experts share how to assess when to keep children home from school and when to visit the pediatrician. 

Donna Mazyck, Executive Director of NASN, breaks it down into two primary considerations: Does the child have a fever, and are they too ill to engage with learning fully? Read the article.

Paid advertisement

The deadline for nominations for Fellow and Honorary Fellow of the National Academy of School Nursing is December 31. Now is the time to recognize and honor your fellow school nurses and non-nurse leaders who partner with school nurses to elevate and advance the health of children and youth for their contributions. View Fellow descriptions and application procedures for these recognitions. 

Check out stories in the latest issue of The Journal of School Nursing (JOSN). A subscription is included with your NASN membership.

• School Nursing Research and Research Implementation Priorities
• JOSN Reviewer Recognition
• The Feasibility of a School Nurse–Led Mindfulness Program
• Health Care Transition in School-Based Health Centers: A Pilot Study, and more. 

To promote health equity and address an increasing need for nurses, educational pathways and mentorship programs for students to pursue a nursing career should be considered during the earlier stages of secondary education. This NASN School Nurse article, Moving Upstream to Address Health Inequity: A Middle School Program to Introduce Students to a Career in Nursing, highlights the BSD Lifesavers program piloted by school nurses in the Brandywine School District in Delaware that aims to create programs and policies to promote a more diverse nursing workforce and provide equitable health care for all communities.

In the JOSN December Podcast, JOSN editor Martha Dewey Bergren interviews author Molly Secor-Turner to discuss the article "Menstruation Experiences of Middle and High School Students in the Midwest: A Pilot Study."

The following are two paid advertisements

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.

• ‘Quiet Hero:’ Georgia elementary school nurse saves parent who was bleeding out at school (Source: wsbtv.com)
• Cherokee announces 2023 Teacher of the Year and Educational Services Professional of the Year (Source: trentonian.com)
• Parents and nurses disagree on when to keep sick kids home from school (Source: cbsnews.com)
• Western Pa. school districts dealing with uptick in sick kids (Source: post-gazette.com)
• Rapid City School Nurses urge everyone to practice healthy habits (Source: keloland.com)
• Someone You Should Know: School nurse giving the gift of celebration (Source: dakotanewsnow.com)
• Newfound school nurse requests policy change to stock Narcan for possible drug overdoses (Source: laconiadailysun.com)
• November proves to be busy month for Central Alabama school nurses (Source: wvtm13.com)
• Pediatrician expects kids to have at least 1 cold a month this season (Source: cbsnews.com)

A School Nurse-Led Initiative to Address Chronic Absenteeism

School nurses play a pivotal role in decreasing absenteeism and addressing 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. This presentation shares the evidence‐based tool/process developed, experiences, and tips from the school nurses 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 even 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.
• 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.

Diabetes Management at School 

The Safe at School^® Working Group of the American Diabetes Association^® (ADA) now offers the updated school guide, Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel, reflecting important changes in diabetes technology and treatment in the school setting, a critical resource for school nurses and staff, diabetes providers, families, and policymakers. 

• NASN Resources: NASN’s Diabetes in Children page contains resources to assist school nurses in providing evidence-based quality care to students with Type 1 diabetes.

School nurses can provide training to teachers, staff, and families that will foster a caring school climate if provided with additional background information beyond the Nursing Practice Acts and the Standards of Care. The National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments offers a collection of culturally and linguistically competent resources for school climate improvement, all organized by school climate topic. Learn more.

Creating a deeper understanding and connection with students and families is vital to establishing rapport and developing effective interventions. The course Cultural Inclusivity: Creating Health Office Impact within the District Approach helps develop individualized culturally competent nursing process steps in the school setting. In this session, first presented at Virtual NASN2021, now available in the NASN Learning Center, learn to identify cultural knowledge gaps and hidden biases, how Cultural Inclusivity impacts school nursing and the entire school community and how to incorporate cultural awareness into your daily practice.

Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a rare polio-like illness characterized by rapid-onset flaccid weakness and paralysis, lacking a clear understanding of the causes or triggers. School health plays an important role in early awareness and advocacy of AFM. The course Something Old, Something New: A Guide to the Mystery of Acute Flaccid Myelitis provides the education and resources to enable the school community to increase the identification of early symptoms and prepares the school nurse to lead the transition of a student diagnosed with AFM back into the school setting as part of the essential multidisciplinary team. This session was initially presented at Virtual NASN2021 and is now available in the NASN Learning Center.

CDC surveillance has shown an increase in respiratory illnesses (influenza, COVID-19, and RSV) across the U.S. School nurses can promote a safe school environment by identifying symptoms, educating the school community and caregivers, and encouraging vaccination for flu and COVID-19.

With the holidays right around the corner, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reminds consumers to keep safety at the top of their minds this holiday season. Many injuries and deaths associated with celebrating the holidays are preventable. Visit CPSC’s Holiday Safety Information Center for tips, a sharable Holiday Safety video, a poster, and more.

• California School Nurses Organization: 73rd CSNO Conference - Moving Forward REJUVENATED AND RESILIENT - February 17-19, 2023 - Learn more and Register

• Maryland Association of School Health Nurses Annual Conference - School Nurse-Navigators "Remember the Past, Navigate the Present, and Prepare for the Future" - March 4, 2023 - Learn more

• Vermont State School Nurses Association Spring Conference - March 24 - Save the Date

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

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 2022 calendar. 

Acceptance of advertising on the top or bottom ad banner or other ad placements 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.