School Nursing Services
School nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that advances the well being, academic success, and life-long achievement of students. To that end, school nurses facilitate positive student responses to normal development; promote health and safety; intervene with actual and potential health problems; provide case management services; and actively collaborate with others to build student and family capacity for adaptation, self-management, self-advocacy, and learning.
Services provided by the school nurse include:
- Nursing interventions with students who have acute and/or chronic health concerns are designed to: improve student health; provide a positive impact on school achievement and success; assist students in developing skills needed for successful self-management
- Individual Health Plan: Enrollment of students with health care needs in the school setting may present a challenge to students, families, and school staff. The school nurse acts as a partner with families and health care providers to help create Individual Health Plans (IHP's) for these children. The IHP addresses special health care or recommendations needed during the school day.
- Health education: Health teaching and/or health counseling is carried out in various settings such as individual encounters with students, contact with the family, and in classrooms on an "as needed" basis.
- Monitoring health and safety: The nurse monitors health and safety issues within the building, district, and community; acts as liason between the physican, school, community and home.
- Medication Administration: A child may need to take medication during the school day. Written parental permission and a signed physican's order are required for any perscription medication. Over-the-counter medication only needs parental permission, as long as the dosing does not exceed the manufacturers' recommended dosing for age/weight.
- Screening Problems: Health screenings such as vision and hearing are conducted in the fall and on an as needed basis.
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