School Nurse

Full time with benefits

10 month 7.5 hours a day

Shared with multiple schools

School Nurse

Student Services Job Description

POSITION: School Nurse

PURPOSE

The professional school nurse is responsible for planning implementing coordinating and evaluating school health services within the context of the Coordinated School Health Program Model. The school nurse serves in the roles of program manager/coordinator case manager/direct care provider collaborator/advocate educator and counselor for Stokes County Schools in assigned schools.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The professional school nurse provides management of the comprehensive school health program by assessing planning/coordinating implementing and evaluating school health services in order to maximize the quality of in-class time by reducing the incidence of health-related absenteeism eliminate or minimize health problems that impair learning and assist students to achieve the highest degree of independent functioning possible.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES

The complex role of the school nurse demands but is not limited to an understanding and knowledge of:

• Community including the community as a system and aggregates as clients
• Pediatric/adolscent Nursing
• Public Health/community Health Nursing
• Health counseling mental health and crisis intervention
• Communicable Disease
• Applicable laws regulations and standards pertaining to school nursing practice (NC Nurse Practice Act Standards of School Nursing Practice and the Eight Components of a Coordinated School Health Program)
• School Health Law
• Special education legislation and services
• Case finding case management and health advocacy
• Program management including personnel supervision
• Family theory assessment and intervention
• Leadership networking and collaboration
• Ethnic and cultural sensitivity and competence
• Contemporary health and psychosocial issues that influence children families and the community
• Health care delivery systems and the concepts of the primary health care
• Building student staff and family capacity for adaptation self management self-advocacy and learning
• School as a non-traditional health care setting
• Environmental health within the school community

SKILLS

• Plan coordinate and supervise the work of others
• Deal tactfully with others and exercise good judgment in appraising situations
• Make independent and timely nursing decisions and to triage
• Secure the cooperation and respect of students faculty and staff
• Elicit needed information and maintain effective working relationships
• Collect data to direct evidence based practice
• Record accurately services rendered and interpret and explain records reports activities health care plans accommodations and medical interventions
• Identify health related barriers to learning (i.e. at risk behaviors financial cultural economical etc.)

DUTIES RESPONSIBILITIES AND ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

This professional school nursing position within Stokes County is responsible for planning implementing coordinating and evaluating school health services that

• Maximize the quantity of in-class time by reducing the incidence of health-related absenteeism
• Eliminate or minimize health problems which impair learning
• Promote the highest degree of independent functioning possible
• Promote students staff and community awareness of and participation in health behaviors

The school nurse will provide:

As Program Manager/Coordinator (in this role the school nurse addresses system-wide health services issues that affect the entire school population):

• Coordinate and participate in the establishment review and implementation of school health/services policies and procedures.
• Ensure consistent implementation of policies/procedures throughout the school system and adherence to legal and regulatory requirements and ethical standards of nursing practice.
• Utilize the nursing process in assessment planning and evaluation of the health services component of the coordinated school health program.
• Implementation of communicable disease control in the school including monitoring surveillance and participating in disease prevention and outbreak management with the school.
• Serve as a health care consultant for school personnel students and their families.
• Provide professional health leadership to administrators and school staff.
• Development/coordination of quality improvement activities for the school health services component of the school health program.
• Assure the appropriate documentation is maintained for school health services and activities.
• Documentation compilation and analysis of data for required reports on school health services.
• Development and training of staff that provides health services including the administration of medication to students.
• Coordinate the establishment of guidelines procedures and training in First Aid/CPR/First Responder Program for schools and staff.
• Participate in the development of the schools emergency health and crisis plan.
• Recommends corrective action where problems are identified.
• Where applicable direct monitor and evaluate aides/assistants/volunteers assigned to the school health program.
• Develop a system for the identification of students with special health care needs.
• Supports healthy food services programs
• Monitors compliance of school health program with federal state and local laws regulations and policies.
• Maintains security and functionality of school health supplies.

As Case Manager/Care Provider (in this role the school nurse addresses the health care needs of individual students or small groups of students):

• Identify students with known chronic illness and special health needs.
• Provides first aid care and medically prescribed services.
• Invasive procedure-delegation training and follow-up; instruct school personnel via in-services how to manage students with chronic illness.
• Provide ongoing evaluation of delegated staff to assure they can safely and effectively perform the tasks.
• Develop EAPs (Emergency Action Plans) as appropriate.
• Establish top priorities for students with chronic illness and assist in development of IHPs (Individual Health Care Plans).
• Initiate referrals when necessary and follow-up for students with identified or suspected health problems.
• Provide periodic health appraisals of students with identified or suspected health problems.
• Serve as a resource for education placement when health needs are involved.
• Instruct school personnel on immunization laws and interpreting the significance of health records such as Kindergarten Health Assessments.
• Records immunizations health findings and other relevant health data.
• Conduct in-service training on health issues for faculty and staff.
• Serve as a resource for classroom education as time allows.
• Provide case management to chronically ill students and their families.
• Respond to communicable disease outbreaks.
• Providing or arranging for routine health assessments such as vision hearing or dental screenings and follow-up as necessary.
• Conducts home visits when appropriate.
• Assist the county health department during a public health emergency.

As Collaborator/Advocate:

• Function as the liaison between the school and local health services agencies/providers.

• Promote healthy physical education sports policies and practices
• Promote community involvement in assuring a healthy school and serves as liaison to a health advisory committee.
• Interpret health mandates recommendations and trends to school personnel through written materials meetings etc.
• Collaborate with other student services personnel to prevent health problems from becoming reasons for educational failure.
• Provision of guidance and support to families in finding and using treatment services.
• Collaborate with community agencies to provide resources for students and their families through serving on committees task forces etc.
• Seek out local and other resources for use in the school setting.
• Support the development and ongoing functioning of the School Health Advisory Council.

As Educator:

• Participate with other school personnel in developing workshops for teachers assistants and other staff on health-related topics.
• Conduct in-service training for school personnel on health issues.
• As time permits provide classroom health instruction to increase the existing teaching staffs capacity to achieve the schools health education goals.
• Participate in the development and implementation of health promotion activities.

As Counselor:

• Provide health counseling for students and families to maximize classroom participation.
• Develop and/or facilitate health-oriented support groups.
• Promote health through education and counseling.
• Convey students health needs to appropriate school personnel and facilitate understanding of and adjustment to changes and limitations.

DUTIES RESPONSIBILITIES AND ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

At a minimum the school nurse may be expected to:

• Attend the New School Nurse Orientation and follow-up session (new school nurses).
• Address the six core functions as identified in the School Nurse Funding Initiative.
• Collect data for the NC DHHS School Health Nursing Survey and Program Summary (End of Year Report).
• Serve multiple schools in the school district.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Registered nurse currently licensed in North Carolina
• Baccalaureate-prepared registered nurse in nursing or health-related field (effective Jan. 15 2009) working toward national school nurse certification with the stipulation that certification be completed within 3 years of hire date. In accordance of National Board Certification it is recommended that the nurse sitting for the exam have 3 years of school nursing experience.
• A minimum of 2 years RN nursing experience dealing with young children and adolescents (ages 5-18)
• Hold or obtain National Certification for School Nurses (NCSN) or obtain certification within 3 years of hire date
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification

Recommended:

• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) trainer