What are the responsibilities and job description for the School Nurse position at McDowell County Schools?
Length of Position: Permanent
Type of Benefits: Full
Months per year: 10
Number of hours per week: 37.5
Number of days per week: 5
State Salary Schedule: Yes
School Nurse Job Description:
The school nurse is employed by the LEA, McDowell County Schools.
The school health program is within the Student Services Program.
Primary 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 the
school district.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
The complex role of the school nurse demands, but is not limited to, and understanding
and knowledge of:
Community, including the community as a system and aggregates as clients
Pediatric/Adolescent Nursing
Public Health/Community Health Nursing
Health counseling, mental health crisis interventions
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
Development, management and evaluation of school health programs
Environmental health within the school community
Skills related to this important role include the ability to:
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
The professional school nurse within MCS 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 function possible
Promote student, staff and community awareness of and participation in health
behaviors
The school nurse will provide:
Standards of Care
Assessment: Collects comprehensive data pertinent to the client’s health or situation
Diagnosis: Analyzes the assessment data to determine the nursing diagnosis or issues
Outcomes Identification: Identifies goals
Planning: Develops a plan, as needed, to obtain goals
Implementation: Implements plans through coordination of care, health teaching and
health promotion and consultation to influence the identified plan, enhance the abilities
of others and effect change
Evaluation: Evaluates progress towards attainment of outcomes
Standards of Professional Performance
Quality of Practice: Systematically enhances the quality and effectiveness of nursing
practice
Education: Attains knowledge and competency that reflects current school nursing
practice
Professional Practice Evaluation: Evaluates one’s own nursing practice in relation to
professional practice standards and guidelines, relevant statues, rules and regulations
Collegiality: Interacts with and contributes to the professional development of peers and
school personnel as colleagues
Collaboration: Collaborates with the client, the family, school staff and others in the
conduct of school nursing practice
Ethics: Integrates ethical provisions in all areas of practice
Research: Integrates research findings into practice
Resource Utilization: Considers factors related to safety, effectiveness, costs and
impact on practice on the planning and delivery of school nursing services
Leadership: Provides leadership in the professional practice setting and the profession
Management: Assists in the management of school health services
Performance and Workload Standards
Attend the New School Nurse Orientation and follow up sessions as indicated
Collect data for the NC DHHS School Health Nursing Survey and Program Summary
(End of Year Report)
Qualifications:
- Required: Registered nurse, currently licensed in North Carolina
- At least two years of experience as a nurse in a hospital or health clinic OR be certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center OR the National Board for Certification of School Nurses.
- BSN or more advanced nursing education is highly recommended.
- If the school nurse is employed by the LEA in a SNFI position, they are mandated to obtain certification within three years.