Health

Role of the School Nurse

School nurses support students through assessment, intervention, and follow up with the goal of making sure every student is healthy and ready to learn.
Student support is accomplished by delivering primary prevention through health education that promotes physical and mental health. The nurse assists with health care decisions and disease prevention with the goal of enhancing school performance. This done by insuring immunization compliance and providing education about the importance of immunizations. Additionally, topics that are addressed with students are healthy lifestyles, risk-reducing behaviors, developmental needs, and activities of daily living. Each nurse provides this education based on the students development levels and needs.
Secondary prevention strategies include screenings and referrals. These screenings include, height, weight, scoliosis, vision, hearing and BMI. School nurses utilize this data to detect and treat health-related issues in their early stages.
School nurses also provide tertiary prevention by addressing diagnosed health conditions. As a case manager, the school nurse must coordinate the health of the student between the medical home, family, and school. The school nurse acts as the health expert when collaborating to develop a student’s Individualized Education Plan or Section 504 plan designed to reduce health related barriers to learning. The school nurse creates, updates and implements Individualized Healthcare Plans to further reduce barriers to learning.
School nurses also provide for the direct care needs of the student, including medication administration and routine treatments and procedures as well as educating school staff so they may assist with the management of a child with a chronic condition or special healthcare need.

Registration Information

• Health Profile Form
• New Student Information
• School Physical Form
• School Dental Form
• Immunization records