School Nurse

Job Title: Nurse

Supervisor: Principal and/or Lead Nurse

FLSA: Non-Exempt

Contracted Days: 185 days

Job Summary: To help each child achieve and maintain an optimal health condition so that maximal physical, emotional and intellectual growth can occur.

Qualifications:

• RN Required (BSN, MSN preferred)
• Acute Care, Emergency Room and/or Pediatric Experience preferred
• Current license to practice as a nurse in the State of South Carolina
• Graduate of an accredited program of nursing (RN, BSN, MSN)
• At least three years of nursing experience

Essential Duties:

General Health Appraisals:

• Maintains health and development history on all new and enrolled students
• Assesses and evaluates all School Health Records and establishes new ones when necessary
• Advises parents regarding any medical conditions which need attention
• Review submitted immunization records on all students to ensure compliance with South Carolina State Law
• Monitors students' immunizations as required by law, and complete necessary immunization reports required by law
• Assesses students' needs, develops and implements nursing care plans to facilitate optimal functional capacity
• Submits Medicaid documentation for reimbursement

Screenings:

• Maintains health and development history on all new and enrolled students
• Assesses and evaluates all School Health Records and establishes new ones when necessary
• Advises parents/guardians regarding any medical conditions which need attention
• Assesses all students' records to determine their immunization status
• Monitors students' immunizations and completes immunization reports as required by South Carolina State Law
• Assesses students' needs, develops and implements nursing care plans to facilitate optimal functional capacity

Grades are subject to change as determined by the South Carolina Department of Education. All screening recommendations are from the South Carolina Department of Education. All results should be recorded on the School Health Records.

Vision:

• Use Snellen Chart
• Screen for distance and near acuity
• Screening recommendations:

             all students in Early Childhood Development, Head Start and Kindergarten Programs.

             all students in grades 1, 3, and 5.

             all new registrants unless health record accompanying student indicate screening results.

             all students identified as high risk using the following criteria:

                 *repeating a grade

                 *enrolled in a special program

                 *absent during previously scheduled exam

                 *exhibiting a behavior change

                 *referred by teacher

                 *all students under care for visual problems

                 *all students not scoring a minimal level on Basic Achievement Test

Oral/ Dental:

• All students in grades K, 3, 7 and at least once in grades 9 12

Hearing:

• Able to train for and use audiometer properly
• Screening recommendations:
  • All students in Early Childhood Development, Head Start and Kindergarten programs
  • All students grades, 1, 2, and 3
  • All new registrants unless health record accompanying student indicates screening results
  • All high risks as identified for vision plus the following:
    • Failed a threshold test during previous year
    • Referred for speech, language or communication problems
    • Identified as having frequent ear infections or allergy conditions
  • Optimal screening based on occurrence data and/ or other need indicators:
    • Pediculosis
    • Scabies
    • Nutritional Status
  • Blood Pressure:
    • Blood Pressure: *Current recommendations suggest that asymptomatic children aged 3 and older should get blood pressure checks at their well child visits with their health care provider; mass screenings at school are not currently recommended or disapproved
    • At least once in grades 9 12
  • Body Mass Index (BMI):
  • All students in grades 5, 8, and at least once in grades 9 12 Grades listed for BMI
  • correspond with SC Code of Laws Section 59-10-10
  • Body composition measures are reported by physical education teachers to a student's parent/guardian as part of the individual student's overall fitness status
  • BMI is the most commonly used index of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence
  • May work with physical education teachers to provide resources that students may need related to Body Mass Index (BMI)

Activities:

• Discusses with students' parents/guardian any significant deviation from normal and suggests necessary examination and treatment by physician or dentist
• Conducts follow-up activities to ensure treatment of identified health deficits
• Coordinates and monitors fluoride mouth rinse program where indicated
• Check any students suspected of communicable disease in school and isolate them by sending them home, if necessary. Checks students returning to school from any illness to ensure such students are no longer contagious
• Exercises established system with standard DHEC/CDC criteria for exclusion of communicable diseases
• Maintains infection control policies and procedures
• Monitors, supervisors and/or administers prescribed medication and treatments and keeps accurate records of these procedures.
• Make home visits, if necessary
• Attend staff meetings as indicated
• Serves as liaison between school, the home, private physicians/ dentists, health and social agencies and other community resources to assure appropriate utilization of all available resources for student's health and needs
• Provides crisis intervention, assessment and care management for students with physical, emotional or social barriers to education
• Provides counseling for staff and students as necessary

Records:

• Maintains a record of screenings
• Records nurse conferences held with students, teachers, principals, and parents
• Maintains a daily log of all students seen in the health room, including date, name, reason for visit and disposal
• Maintains an up-to-date emergency notification system for students as indicated
• Use the individual Student Health Room Record for each student
• Maintains an up-to-date School Record for each student
• Completes all nursing documentation for each month by the last working day of the month
• Provides students' health problems information to teachers as deemed necessary

Conferences:

Nurse/ student and family:

• Helps introduce need for family change
• Assesses need adaptations in educational settings to accommodate student's health deficits
• Assists parents in decision making process regarding need for medical, dental or other health referral and link with community resources

Nurse/ teacher:

• Provides and interprets health information related to individual student's health problems or health behavior
• Develops intervention strategies

Nurse/ administrator:

• Communicates health status of the school population and/ or individual student
• Monitors and plans needed corrections of environmental or safety hazards
• Assists principal in instructing some members of the staff in basic first aid

Nurse/ counselor:

• Develops intervention strategies
• Participates in staffing and placement conferences for special education students as indicated

Education:

• Conduct health programs in classrooms as requested (e.g. child abuse prevention, safety, health awareness, dental health, human growth and development, personal hygiene.)
• Participating on curriculum committee as requested
• Promotes wellness and positive health habits
• Serve as resource person suggesting and providing information and materials
• Encourages self-care, decision making, and self-control in all interactions with students and staff
• Provides in-service to personnel as requested
• Stresses stress management and relaxation techniques
• Promote accident reduction through safety awareness and by encouraging safe practices

Health Room/ Emergency Care:

• Plans, organizes and coordinates a method for providing first aid and emergency care
• Assumes responsibility for maintenance for the health room, to include ordering supplies and equipment
• Administers first aid, care and comfort to ill or injured students as stipulated by written school policies and procedures when available

Other

• Additional duties as assigned by supervisor

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Must exhibit manual dexterity to enter data into a computer; to see and read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids; hear and understand speech at normal classroom levels, outdoors and on the telephone; speak in audible tones so that others may understand clearly in normal classrooms, outdoors and on the telephone; physical agility to lift up to 40 pounds.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Duties are normally performed in a school/office/classroom environment.  Duties may be conducted in work-related community settings and/or occasionally performed on study trips away from the school.

Pay Scale: GCSD Classified Scale W01 (Based on RN, BSN, or MSN and years of experience)  

Last Updated:  10/2025