One way schools can do this is by having a reliable team of school base nurses on hand. School nurses are highly specialized individuals who play a vital role in keeping our students healthy and safe. They have an array of skills that can be used in both an emergency situation and routine check-ups.
School nurses are uniquely placed to act quickly and effectively when necessary, to respond to a variety of situations prompt and efficiently. In this article, we will take a closer look at their responsibilities, why they are important and how they can be beneficial in keeping our students healthy and secure. Contacting a reliable school base nurses from Gifted Healthcare can also share you knowledge how it works.
1. The role of school nurses in the education system
- Provide Medical Care to Students and Staff
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School nurses provide medical care in an outpatient setting, such as dealing with illnesses or injuries that occur during the course of a day. School nurses also provide first-aid procedures such as bandaging cuts, administering medications like inhalers, and providing medications for chronic conditions.
- Manage Chronic Conditions
School nurses help manage chronic conditions inside and outside the classroom by educating both students and staff on how to handle these conditions within the school setting. This includes managing allergies, diabetes, asthma, seizures, and more.
- Help Promote Healthy Behaviors
School nurses promote healthy behaviors among students through health education programs about nutrition, physical activity, mental health awareness, drug use prevention, growth issues, dental hygiene practices, smoking cessation strategies or STD/STI prevention programs.
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- Create Emergency Plans for Medical Emergencies
School nurses create emergency plans for medical emergencies such as severe allergic reactions or shock from food allergies or asthma attacks. These plans can save lives by preparing teachers on how to safely react to medical incidents when encountered.
- Advocate for Student Health Needs
One key role of school nurses is advocating for student health needs in order to ensure that health services in their schools meet applicable standards set forth by The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) or other respected organizations. School nurses also teach students how to manage their own healthcare needs with respect to their individual responsibilities.
2. The importance of school nurses in promoting student health
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School nurses play an invaluable role in helping to promote the health and wellbeing of students. They are responsible for providing assessment, intervention, and referral decisions that meet the medical needs of each student. They work closely with parents, teachers, school administrators, physicians, and other health professionals to ensure that the physical and emotional needs of students are being properly met in order to maximize their learning potential. Further, school nurses can serve as important educational resources for teachers, staff and parents on a variety of topics relating to child health, including nutrition and physical education. Ultimately, they are instrumental in improving not only the overall health status of students but also student academic performance.
3. The challenges of being a school nurse
- Working in an educational setting requires knowledge and understanding of social, developmental, physical and emotional aspects of the students as well as their families.
- School nurses need to balance caring for students while adhering to strict regulations and laws.
- They must keep up-to-date with changes in health care policy, new legislation related to school nursing practice, student medical records, school safety protocols and any changes to medical responses due to COVID-19.
- Balancing these demands is no small feat! School nurses must further possess excellent problem-solving abilities ‐ often having to make decisions with very little guidance or precedent ‐and strong interpersonal skills when dealing with conflicting interests between administrators, faculty, staff and parents.
4. The skills and qualifications needed to be a school nurse
Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing
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The first step to becoming a school nurse is to obtain an undergraduate degree in nursing from an accredited college or university. This four-year program typically covers curriculum related to healthcare administration, patient assessment, health promotion, illnesses and diseases common among children and adolescents, nutrition for children, growth and development across childhood and adolescence stages, research methods related to child healthcare settings, mental health issues common among young people, emergency procedures for life-threatening situations, family dynamics best practices for service provision within the school setting.
Certification Requirements
In most states (except California), the National Board for Certification of School Nurses administers the certification exam which is required in most states before applying to be a school nurse. The exam tests your knowledge on topics such as: principles of public health; legal aspects of healthcare; student advocacy; ethical decision making; immunization requirements; emergency management systems; pharmacology & therapeutics; communication & consultation with other members of various healthcare teams & many other topics listed by NBCSN.
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General Skills Necessary To Be A School Nurse
The skills needed to become a successful school nurse include strong organizational skill sets such as task management and budgeting duties while operating within the confines of state & federal regulations pertaining to juvenile health service provision regulations.
School-based nurses play a vital role in student wellness and safety and need to be aware of the importance of their position. Having reliable school base nurses means having staff members who are knowledgeable and equipped with the right tools to best support each student’s individual needs and ensure everyone’s wellbeing. Reliable school-based nurses can provide access to resources if needed, provide assistance for students with special medical considerations, and respond promptly in an emergency situation. Moreover, these professionals can also serve as role models for promoting healthy lifestyles throughout the school environment. Ultimately, reliable school base nurses are essential for creating a positive learning atmosphere where students feel safe and secure.
