Nurses are the most trusted sources of health information to the American public. Having demonstrated their ability to adapt and engage in addressing the complex public health needs during COVID-19, nurses have joined together to address another growing public health threat: climate change. As the new Congress returned to Washington D.C. last week, 42 nursing groups, including NASN, endorsed the Joint Commitment Statement on Climate Change and Health. 

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Teens across the U.S. are experiencing an increase in mental health challenges, but girls and those who identify as LGBTQ+ are faring worse than other teens, in a new report from the CDC. The findings underscore that teens’ mental health is declining and that schools, parents, and the community need to provide resources to support teens.

Donna Mazyck, the executive director of NASN, said, “Schools need state and district level policies and programs in collaboration with state and local mental health, family, and youth development community groups.”

• NASN Resources: See NASN's Mental Health page and the Learning Center Courses Advocacy and Action: How School Nurses Can Help LGBTQ Students Thrive and The Role of the School Nurse in Mental/Behavioral Health of Youth to support upstream approaches to improve the mental well-being of students.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States despite most cases being preventable by vaccination. The NASN School Nurse article, Cancer Prevention Begins in Middle School: The Personal Advantages of HPV Immunization in Males, aims to explain the benefits of HPV immunization for boys and young men, expounding on the school nurses’ role in promoting vaccination to prevent HPV infection and the sequela of related cancers.

• See NASN's Immunization Transition Toolkit to find recommended vaccines for specific age groups, communication tools, resources, and more.

NASN members receive print and online subscriptions to NASN School Nurse. Current and previous articles are indexed online.

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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.

• ‘2 lives were on the line’: Western Pa. school nurse saves pregnant teacher’s life (Source: post-gazette.com)
• A Note Of Gratitude From Hixson School Parent (Source: timesnewspapers.com)
• See immunizations as the public health miracle they are (Source: house.mn.gov)
• Carson Valley Medical Center donates life-saving devices to Douglas High (Source: recordcourier.com)
• Crocker receives national accreditation as school nurse (Source: boothbayregister.com)
• Bill to require defibrillators in schools passes Virginia Senate (Source: wric.com)
• New nursing program gives students opportunity to continue education (Source: ksnblocal4.com)

Join the next COCA Call/Webinar, Evaluating and Supporting Children and Adolescents Presenting with Post-COVID Conditions, where presenters will discuss evaluating and supporting post-COVID conditions (PCC) in children and adolescents and the recommended clinical approach to identifying and managing PCC on Thursday, February 23, 2023.

School Nurse-Led Case Management – Application of the Nursing Process

School nurses, refresh your perspective about how the application of the nursing process guides the provision of School Nurse-Led Case Management (SNLCM) for vulnerable students. This free course offers evidence-based current information, tools/resources, and strategies to support the confidence and competence of the school nurse role in promoting health equity for students with a known (asthma) and suspected (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - ME/CFS) health condition using SNLCM. Learn more and complete the course.

• See also: The School Nurse-Led Active Surveillance Manual, which guides school nurses in addressing health-related absences.

A retrospective analysis of an electronic health record system in Thailand suggests that the prevalence of anaphylaxis worsens with age, and the most common etiology found is food-induced anaphylaxis. To learn more and understand how this impacts school nursing practice, read the open-access article, Pediatric Anaphylaxis: Etiology and Predictive Factors in an Emergency Setting, in the Journal of Global Pediatric Health.

• NASN Resources: View NASN's Allergies and Anaphylaxis page for materials to aid school nurses in developing and evaluating school health services that focus on food allergy and anaphylaxis.

CDC’s YRBS Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011-2021 provides surveillance data from 2021 and 10-year trends from 2011 through 2021 on behaviors and experiences among high school students in the U.S. related to health and well-being. The report includes data on behaviors and experiences for 29 variables across

• sexual behavior
• substance use
• experiences of violence
• mental health
• suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Additionally, this year’s report includes data on social determinants of health and protective factors, such as school connectedness and parental monitoring.

DASH’s new School Preparedness Unit (SPU) website has information about preparing for emergencies and agency roles in school preparedness. The SPU sends quarterly newsletters detailing how the CDC is preparing schools for future emergencies. Subscribe to the newsletter here.  

DASH’s Youth HIV/STD Prevention Communication Resources Toolkit includes information, templates, products, and materials designed to provide communication planning guidance and resources for implementing school-based HIV, STD, and unintended pregnancy prevention efforts.

NACCD released a report on the mental health crisis in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and other lessons learned, addressing the immediate and persistent challenges in public health emergency preparedness, response, and recovery affecting children. Learn more.

The U.S. Department of Education and the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments invite you to join the next Lessons from the Field webinar, Understanding Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting and How Educators Can Help, on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at 3 pm ET. Participants will learn about FGM/C, the impacts, laws to protect girls and women, and strategies to support students who have been impacted. Learn more and register.

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM), raising awareness and focusing on advocacy and education to stop dating abuse before it starts. TDVAM is about education, engagement, and empowerment and amplifying the voices of teens and young adults and those who support them by uplifting positive, healthy, and safe relationships. Learn more and find TDVAM resources.

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

• 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

• Missouri Association of School Nurses Spring Conference - School Nurses Planting a Lifetime of Health - March 25-26, 2023 - Learn more and Register

• New Jersey State School Nurses Association Spring 2023 Conference - Reimagining School Nursing - March 25, 2023 - Learn more and Register

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

• Delaware School Nurse Association Winter/Spring Conference - Save the Date - April 1, 2023 - Learn more

• Ohio Association of School Nurses 2023 Annual Conference - Good as Gold, Celebrating 50 Years of Ohio Nurses - April 14-16, 2023 - Learn more and Register

• Louisiana School Nurses Organization: 53rd Annual LSNO Professional Growth Seminar - April 18-21, 2023 - Learn more

• Wisconsin Association of School Nurses Annual Conference - Improving the Inclusivity and Visibility of School Nurses - April 26-28, 2023 - Learn more

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 2023 calendar. 

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