May 8 is National School Nurse Day
NCW school nurses attending the Fall 2023 Washington State School Nursing Conference, sponsored by School Nurse Organization of Washington (SNOW). Professional development is ongoing to keep up with changing local, regional, state, and federal guidance and regulations.
North Central Educational Service District (NCESD) Recognizes All Regional School Nurses for National School Nurse Day
2023-2024 Highlights
While school nursing is a busy job, school nurses frequently take on additional responsibilities, ranging from environmental safety to community outreach to professional development support, participating in local, regional, state, national, and international events and projects. Two are highlighted but examples are many.
In 2023-2024, six experienced school nurses supported NCESD’s BEST School Nurse Mentor program this year. BEST School Nurse Mentors have completed specific training on professional mentoring offered through the Beginning Educator Support Team of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Many thanks to these professional experts for their willingness to support the development of novice school nurses as they learn their specialty role and responsibilities. Photo: Melanie Wallace, RN, BEST School Nurse Mentor, Wenatchee School District School Nurse (right) and Amanda Peaslee, RN, Pinnacles Prep School Nurse (left).
Shellie Hansen, RN, Ephrata School District School Nurse, was selected as a delegate to the National Association of School Nurses and Cultural Vistas Citizen Ambassador Program. In May – June, 2023, a team of school nurse delegates visited United Arab Emirates. The delegation team met with nursing faculty at Fatima College of Health Sciences and with UAE school nurses to discuss current successes and challenges. The delegation visited two schools for an overview of school health services. In addition, they were able to tour the historic sites of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
About School Nursing
School nurses provide student care coordination and case management support, and advocate for evidence-based, student-centered care. They serve as the critical link between the school, home, primary healthcare providers, and community and mental health services. Their contributions support student attendance, learning engagement, graduation rates, and ultimately, development of successful community members.
For some students, the nurse serves as the primary connection to a licensed health professional. School nurse responsibilities include assessing student health and safety needs, developing appropriate student care plans, training school staff involved in health services and student care, compiling mandatory health data, coordinating student health screenings, and addressing communicable diseases.
School Nurse Day Resources
Since 1972, National School Nurse Day has been set aside to recognize school nurses. National School Nurse Day was established to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting. School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week. National Nurses Week is May 6-12 each year.
This year, the National Association of School Nurses has put together a variety of resources for districts to celebrate and thank their school nurses. Click here to go to their resources webpage.
About North Central Educational Service District
The North Central Educational Service District (NCESD) provides a wide array of programs, services and support to the 29 public school districts in the North Central Washington region of Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan counties. NCESD provides professional and timely tools to meet the needs of individual schools and districts, and a reliable point of education-related information for the communities served. NCESD is one of nine respected educational service districts in Washington State.
About NCESD School Nurse Corps
School Nurse Corps (SNC) is a collaborative program of Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and Educational Service Districts (ESDs) represented within the Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD). The program fills a critical gap in access to equitable registered nursing services for students in small, rural districts. SNC strives to ensure student health and safety and to support attendance and learning by expanding public school districts’ nursing service capacity. The program’s regional infrastructure allows for flexibility and coordination in response to regional health needs and trends. NCESD SNC team members include Sheila Salmon, Administrative Assistant, Meli Barajas, COVID Coordinator, and Cathy Meuret, Director.
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