School Nurse Full-Time/Permanent

Position Title: School Nurse

Reports To: Director of Testing & Accountability

Supervises: N/A

Job Qualifications:

• Required: Registered nurse, currently licensed in North Carolina 

• Required: Nationally certified school nurse or registered nurse working toward national school nurse certification, to be completed within 3 years of hire date

• Highly Recommended: BSN/BS (to make National Certification within easier reach) or more advanced nursing education

Job Description:  The professional school health 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 as program manager/ coordinator, case manager/direct care provider, collaborator/advocate, educator and counselor for Washington County Schools in assigned schools.  An annual performance evaluation is conducted by the Associate Superintendent.  As part of the work evaluation, professional growth goals are set. A mid-year review is performed by the Regional Nurse Consultant to provide assurance that work is on target.

Duties, Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions:

This professional nursing position within Washington County Schools is responsible for planning, implementing, coordinating and evaluating school health services that a) maximize the quantity of in-class time by reducing the incidence of health related absenteeism, b) eliminate or minimize health problems which impair learning, and c) achieve the highest degree of independent functioning possible.  

More specifically, the school nurse:

• identifies the health care needs of specific student population and availability of health services/resources

• plans and implements services to meet those health care needs

• assesses and evaluates the effectiveness of the services and health care plans

• Collaborates with a wide variety of school system and professional disciplines to enhance the educational process and promotion of an optimal level of wellness for students, families and staff

The school nurse functions independently under state and agency guidelines and policies without on-site supervision.  Work is self-directed and clinically autonomous.  Limited supervision may be exercised over volunteers, unlicensed personnel, and/or licensed personnel.  

To accomplish these responsibilities, the school nurse serves in the roles as program manager/coordinator, case manager/direct care provider, collaborator/advocate, educator and counselor for the entire school/school district.  More specific responsibilities in each of these categories are as follows:

School Health Services Manager/Coordinator (40%)

In this role, the school nurse addresses system-wide health services issues that affect the entire school population, i.e., population focused care.  The school nurse will follow Washington County School health policy and procedures.

• Assure Washington County Schools is in compliance with mandated health service activities.

• Coordination and participation in the establishment, review, and implementation of school health services, policies and procedures

• Assurance that such policies and related procedures adhere to legal and regulatory requirements and ethical standards of nursing practice

• Development and coordination of quality improvement activities for the school health services component of the school health program

• Documentation, compilation and analysis of data for required reports on school health services

• Maintain school health documentation according to policy *

• Assurance that school health services and activities are appropriately 

Documented *

• Assessment, planning and evaluation of the health services component of the coordinated school health program.

• Implementation of communicable disease control in the school, including monitoring, surveillance and participating in disease prevention and outbreak management within the school

• Serving as the health care consultant for school personnel, students and their parents/families *

• Provision of professional health leadership to administrators and school staff *

• Development, training and monitoring of staff that provide health services, including delegated procedures, the administration of medication to students, and other health related mandated activities *

• Coordination of the establishment of guidelines, procedures and training in First Aid/CPR/First Responder Program for schools and staff

• Participation in the development of the school’s emergency health and crises plan.

• Where applicable, directing, monitoring and evaluating aides, assistants, volunteers, unlicensed and/or licensed personnel assigned to the school health program *

• Implementation of a system for the identification of students with chronic/acute health care needs.

• Works in collaboration with Director of Programs for Exceptional Children and medical providers to coordinate health services for children with Special Needs.

Case Manager and Direct Care Provider for Students with

Special Health Care Needs and Those Needing Health Services (35%)

In this role, the school nurse addresses the health needs of individual students or small groups of students:

• Identification of students with special health care needs

• Development of emergency action plans for students at risk of medical crises at school or during a school function *

• Development of and monitoring of individual health care plans (IHPs) for students who need invasive procedures performed during the school day, as well as for students who may require adaptation of the health-related learning environment or classroom schedule. *

• Provision of case management and active collaboration with staff, students and families to promote self-management and optimal care during school hours *

• Provision of training for staff regarding chronic illnesses experienced by students at school *

• Functioning as a health resource for chronically ill students and their families *

• Provision of consultation to members of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, Student Assistance Team (SAT), or other multidisciplinary team on health related concerns *

• Provision of consultation and recommendations in the planning and development of health accommodation plans for Section 504 eligible students.

• Determination of tasks that may be appropriately delegated to licensed or unlicensed persons, on a student by student basis, and the provision of training of these people for these tasks *

• On going supervision and evaluation of delegated staff to assure the safe and effective performance of delegated tasks *

• Provision of periodic health appraisals of students with identified or suspected health problems *

• Coordination of screening programs and immunization review/follow up for the school

• Administer and ensure appropriate documentation of medications at school

 Collaborator/Advocator (25%)

• Function as the liaison between the school and local health service agencies/providers and community resources

• Interpret health mandates, recommendations and trends to school personnel through written materials, meetings, etc. *

• Collaborate with other student services personnel to prevent health problems from becoming reasons for educational failure.

• Provide guidance and support to families in finding and using treatment services.

• Collaborate with community agencies to provide resources for students and their families through serving on committees, task forces, etc.

• Seek out local and other resources for use in the school setting.

• Support the development and on-going functioning of the School Health Advisory Committee.

Educator for School and Community Concerns:

• Participation with other school personnel in developing workshops for teachers, assistants and other staff on health-related topics *

• Conduction of in-service training for school personnel on health issues *

• Provision of  classroom health instruction/serve as a resource to increase the existing teaching staff's capacity to achieve the school's health education goals

• Participation in the development and implementation of health promotion activities

Counselor for Health Concerns of Students and their Families and the Staff:

• Provision of health counseling for students and their families to maximize classroom participation *

• Development and/or facilitation of health-oriented support groups.

• Promotion of health through education and counseling.

• Interpretation of students' health needs to school personnel and facilitation of understanding of and adjustment to changes and limitations *

Other duties as assigned within the scope of practice as a registered nurse and in accordance with the NC Nurse Practice Act

* denotes Essential Functions

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

The complex role of the school nurse demands, but is not limited to, an understanding and knowledge of:

• Community, including community as a system and aggregates as clients

• Pediatric Nursing

• Public Health/ Community Health Nursing

• Health counseling, mental health and crisis intervention

• 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)

• 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

• School Health law

• Special education legislation and services

• Scope of school nursing practice

• 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.)

Performance and Work Load Standards

At a minimum, the school nurse is expected to:  

• attend the New School Nurse Orientation and follow up session (new school nurses)

• address the six core functions as identified in the School Nurse Funding Initiative 

• collect data for the End of Year Report