Title: School Nurse
Status: Full Time – Non Exempt
Reports to: Managing Director

Voyager Academy is a fully accredited K-12 charter school located in Durham, NC where students participate in deep learning through authentic project based learning experiences. Our faculty and staff collaboratively strive to inspire life-long learning and lead by modeling our core values of confidence, empathy, curiosity, reflection, and integrity.

We are currently seeking a School Nurse to join our team.
Job Description:
This school nurse 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, and
• Achieve the highest degree of independent functioning possible.

More specifically, the school nurse: 1) identifies the health care needs of specific student populations and the availability of health services/resources, 2) plans and implements services to meet those health care needs, 3) assesses and evaluates the effectiveness of the services and health care plans, and 4) collaborates with a wide variety of school system and professional disciplines to enhance the educational process and the promotion of an optimal level of wellness for students, families and staff. The school nurse functions under state and agency guidelines and policies and reports to the Managing Director. Work is self-directed and clinically autonomous.

Duties and Responsibilities:

40%- Direct Care Provider for Students

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.
• Provision of case management to students with complex health needs.
• Provision of consultation and recommendations in the planning and development of accommodation plans for Section 504 eligible students.
• 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.
• Initiation of referrals and follow-up for students with identified or suspected health problems.
• Coordination of screening programs and immunization review/follow up for the school.

35% - School Health Services Program Manager/Coordinator

In this role, the school nurse addresses system-wide health services issues that affect the entire school population, i.e., population focused care.

• 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
• 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.
• Documentation, compilation and analysis of data for required reports on school health services.
• Development and training of staff who provide health services, including the administration of medication to students
• 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.
• Development of a system for the identification of students with special health care needs.
• Support the school to maintain Covid safety protocols, screening, and testing if available
• Provide nursing support for all 3 buildings on campus- Elementary, Middle, and High School

15%- Collaborator/advocate

• Function as the liaison between the school and local health service agencies/providers.
• 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.
• Provision of 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 vision, mission, and values of Voyager

5% Educator for School and Community Concerns

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

5% 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.
• Interpretation of students' health needs to school personnel and facilitation of understanding of and adjustment to changes and limitations.

Minimum Education and Experience:

Registered nurse, currently licensed in North Carolina

Nationally certified school nurse or registered nurse working toward national certification.

About:

Voyager Academy provides a small school feel on a large campus. Fostering a spirit of safety, inclusion, and belonging - our mission is to provide students an academically challenging and supportive learning environment. Staff utilizes experiential and traditional learning strategies so that students become responsible, engaged, innovative members of society. Our expectation is that all students, working with dedicated faculty and family, will excel academically and socially.

Benefits:

• NC State Health Plan
• Dental/Vision/Life-Insurance/Disability benefits
• PTO (14 days - 1st Year)
• NC State Retirement Plan
• Built-in planning time and professional development opportunities
• CEU planning and tracking support