Pub. 4 2014-2015 Issue 1

17 Why Support a School Nurse? A school nurse is more than Band-Aids and reassuring hugs. School nursing is a recognized specialty in the field of nursing, governed by its own scope and standards of practice and supported by national and state school nurse organizations. It also offers certification through the Na- tional Board for Certification of School Nurses (NCSN), equivalent to that for teachers. Evidence has shown that school nurses improve at- tendance through reducing illness rates and by providing chronic disease management (DeSocio, 2004). Having a school nurse on duty to address student health needs re- duces time taken from administrators, teachers and clerical staff (Baisch, 2011). Employing a school nurse is an effec- tive administrative strategy that supports student health and improves the efficient management of schools. School Nurse Activities The school nurse performs multiple duties in the school setting. They act as the medical expert in the school and provide health services and direct care to students with chronic or acute health conditions, health screenings and referrals, perform health record audits, staff training, and classroom health presentations. School nurses provide leadership as they promote health policies and programs and act as a liaison within the school community. They share in the common goal of improving student academic success by reducing barriers to learning. Understanding the role of the school nurse is best exemplified through data collection. The state school nurse consultant requests that every school nurse provides data twice a year via the School Nurse Workload Survey. Requested data include the number of medically fragile students, case management of such students, the type and number of staff receiving health-related trainings, the number of students impacted by school nurse classroom education opportunities, and the number of hours the nurse spends on school and community wellness com- mittees. Nurses who staff a school health clinic are asked to also provide outcome measures for their health room- related visits. How Many Hours per Week are Sufficient for School Nurse Duties? The decision on the number of hours a nurse will be on duty at your school should be determined by the acuity of BY CATHERINE SPARKS, MSN, RN, NCSN, STATE SCHOOL NURSE CONSULTANT, CSPARKS@UTAH.GOV the health-related conditions of the student population, as well as the type of activities offered on the campus. Keep in mind that Utah Administrative Code R392-200: Design, Construction, Operation, Sanitation, and Safety of Schools section (9) states: the governing body shall have a written plan or policy available for review upon request by the local health department that states how a nurse or doctor can be contacted at any time the school is in session. Prior agreement shall have been made with the doctor or nurse to ensure availability. In addition to “any time” on call availability, an under- standing of the initial workload to identify and establish a safe environment for students with health conditions at the beginning of the school year or upon the hiring of a school nurse must be taken into account by the school adminis- trator and resource management. It has been recommended that .33 FTE or 13.2 hours per week may be sufficient for case management of identi- fied students with self-regulated chronic conditions. If the nurse is required to perform additional hands-on acute clinical care to the general student population, more time should be granted. Consider each school has its own unique challenges and circumstances. Best practice promotes a full time nurse in every school. With budget constraints, the sharing of a school nurse may offer a viable solution for having full time access. It has been suggested that at least three charter schools in a localized area collaborate to hire a jointly shared school nurse, each paying .33 of their salary and benefits, creat- ing a full time school nurse position. This assures that the school nurse is available by phone at any time during the school day and available to respond to urgent needs at any school. The Decision to Hire a School Nurse CONTINUED ON PAGE 18