Weekly Digest from NASN View as Webpage January 5, 2023 New NASN School Nurse Podcast Hear from authors of the article "Moving Upstream to Address Health Inequity: A Middle School Program to Introduce Students to a Career in Nursing."  Listen now. Earn NCPD Check out all the newly added courses in the NASN Learning Center. NASN News and Highlights See more. Upcoming Events See more. Weekly Digest Archive See past issues.   President's Message The convergence of COVID-19, the flu, and RSV -- a virus that causes cold-like symptoms -- is causing higher-than-normal staff and student absences and sometimes forcing schools to close temporarily and others to turn to universal masking. We know that masking works as a mitigation strategy, and we’re in this season of illnesses, so it’s not really surprising to see it might be coming back in some places. Read the article. CDC surveillance has shown an increase in Influenza, COVID-19, and RSV with associated ER visits and hospitalizations across the US. School nurses can identify symptoms, educate the school community and caregivers and encourage vaccinations for flu and COVID-19. See NASN's resources on immunizations, the flu, and COVID-19. And don't miss NASN's Webinar on School-Recommended Vaccinations at 3 p.m. ET on January 18. New school nurses will get a primer on school-required child/adolescent vaccinations, and experienced school nurses can get a refresher on vaccinations. Linda Mendonça, DNP, RN, PHNA-BC, NCSN, FNASN NASN President BETTER HEALTH. BETTER LEARNING. ™   NASN News and Highlights NASN's 2023 Legislative Priorities NASN has released its 2023 legislative priorities. They focus on the Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools Everywhere (NURSE) Act, the One School, One Nurse Act, and the Grow SISPs Act (growing, recruiting, and obtaining workers in specialized instructional support personnel services). Learn More Paid advertisement   Meet the Editor Bimonthly Web Meeting Join us at 3:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, for the next meeting in the Meet the Editor web series focused on Peer Review - What Is In It for You? During this interactive meeting, The Journal of School Nursing Editor, Dr. Martha Dewey Bergren, will provide tips for and field comments and questions from authors and aspiring authors. Attendees will learn the benefits of conducting professional peer reviews and identify peer review resources. Register now. Care of Minor Wounds and Skin Injuries in the School Health Office School nurses routinely provide simple wound care for minor injuries in the school health office. This article from NASN School Nurse, Minor Skin Injuries at School: The Role of the School Nurse, outlines the steps for simple wound care for minor abrasions, cuts, blisters, and burns and also includes recommendations for referral of more complicated wounds. A NASN School Nurse subscription is included with your NASN membership. Sign up for New Content alerts for NASN School Nurse.   The following are two paid advertisements Wake Up and Learn provides free materials and tools to promote student well-being through improved sleep. Wake Up and Learn is a free, school-based sleep education and screening program that strives to combat the negative impacts of insufficient sleep on adolescent well-being and empower students to make better decisions about their health. For more information, watch this video and/or visit wakeupandlearn.org.   School Nurse Provides Nurse-Chosen Products for Student Health Management School Nurse, a division of Pocket Nurse®, offers thousands of nurse-curated products to manage K-12 student wellness. Products ship FAST, including first aid supplies, teaching tools, CPR/AED trainers, infection control items, and much more. Learn More   School Nurses in the News 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. As pandemic persists, so do school nurses (Source: yourarlington.com) The Role of the Modern School Nurse in Ensuring Student Success (Source: gilmermirror.com) Support for School Vaccine Mandates Is Declining, Survey Shows (Source: edweek.org) Amid school nurse shortage in Wisconsin, $8.3M grant provides temporary relief (Source: wpr.org) Public Health Excellence, "No One Knows What a School Nurse Does." (Source: flipsnack.com) Children’s Medications Are in Short Supply. Should Schools Be Worried? (Source: edweek.org) Pine Ridge Elementary creates ‘sensory hallway’ using district wellness grant (Source: sentinelcolorado.com) Yorktown School Employees Awarded For Saving Life Of Custodial Worker (Source: dailyvoice.com) APS receives grant to increase vaccine confidence in community (Source: sentinelcolorado.com) Oyster River Middle School Nurse Michael Hope Named New Hampshire Healthcare Hero Runner-up (Source: jgpr.net)     Managing Chronic Health Conditions Using the WSCC Model to Implement Wellness Policies and Sustain Chronic Health Condition Management in Schools School nurse involvement with school wellness policies is critical to ensure the overall health and well-being of students are addressed. The ‘gold standard’ model school wellness policy developed by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation was updated in June 2020. This course offers information on the updated model wellness policy that includes recommended language to address all 10 components of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model and the (2020) NASN supplemental language to address chronic health condition management – positioning the school nurse to be able to fully participate when schools review and refresh current school wellness policies. Learn more and complete the course.   Improving School Community & Student Health Increase in Invasive Group A Strep Infections (iGAS) CDC is reporting an increase in iGAS infections among children in the US. School nurses can educate staff and caregivers on signs of illness and prevention measures. Illness due to iGAS in persons with viral infections that present as continuing or worsening symptoms after an initial improvement is a concern. Learn more about the symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, and cellulitis. Encourage caregivers to seek medical care quickly if their child or a family member has one of these infections. Ensure everyone in the household is up to date with flu and chickenpox vaccines. Human Trafficking in America's Schools Webinar Series For National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments invites you to join a miniseries focused on the roles of families in human trafficking. Part 1, Supporting Students Who Have Experienced Familial Human Trafficking, on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, from 3:00 to 4:30 PM EST, provides information about the unique needs of students who have been trafficked by a family member. Learn more and register. NASN Resources: See NASN's Position Statements on Human Trafficking and Prevention and Treatment of Child Maltreatment –The Role of the School Nurse. Support Students with Migraine The Migraine at School program provides resources and information for students, parents, educators, school nurses, counselors, administrators, and school staff to ensure students with migraine get the education they deserve. NASN Resources: See the course The Emerging School Nurse Leader Role in Decreasing School Absenteeism in Children with Migraine Headache in the NASN Learning Center, free for NASN members! Making Sustainable and Healthy Schools a Reality The annual Green Schools Conference, February 27 - March 1, 2023, in New Orleans, will address a wide range of topics from environmental impact to health and wellbeing, including sessions on school gardens, indoor air quality, social and emotional health, and nutrition programs. Early bird registration discounts end on January 13, 2023. Plan Ahead for 2023 National Children’s Dental Health Month The American Dental Association’s Council on Advocacy for Access and Prevention has announced that the February 2023 National Children’s Dental Health Month materials are now available. Visit to order the free bilingual posters and find additional resources.   Mark Your Calendar   Human Trafficking Miniseries Part 1: January 11 Part 2: January 25 Learn more and register. JOSN Meet the Editor Bimonthly Web Meeting: Peer Review - What Is In It for You? January 17 Learn more and register. Immunization 101: A Primer on School- Recommended Vaccinations 3 p.m. ET January 18 Learn more and register.   State Associations of School Nurses' Conferences 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 and Register Vermont State School Nurses Association Spring Conference - March 24 - Learn More 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. NASN CALENDAR National Health Observances Calendar This calendar lists special days, weeks, or months dedicated to raising awareness about important health topics. Access the 2023 calendar. OBSERVANCES 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.   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]