NASN School Nurse

School nurses are challenged by federal civil rights laws and the standards of school nursing practice to care for a burgeoning population of students with special health care needs. Due to the realities of current school nurse-to-student ratios, school nurses are frequently responsible for directing unlicensed assistive personnel (UAPs) to support the health and safety needs of students, where State Nurse Practice Acts, state legislation, and local policy mandates allow. The delegation of health care tasks to UAPs poses many professional, ethical, and legal dilemmas for school nurses. One strategy to reduce the risks of delegation is through the use of procedure skills checklists, as highlighted by the experience of one large urban school district. Part 1 of this two-part article will explore the scope of the problem and the principles of delegation, including legal and ethical considerations.

Nurses are trained to think in terms of the nursing process, which encompasses the five steps of assessment, diagnosis, outcomes/planning, implementation, and evaluation. Cities and towns have developed emergency plans based on the “all-hazards” approach. School district plans are also formulated based on the all-hazards approach of hazard mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery, which mirrors the nursing process. Individual school efforts focus on these four principles to facilitate development of a comprehensive plan for each school. Utilizing the principles of education, collaboration, resource utilization, leadership, and advocacy throughout the evolution of an updated and functional plan allows for an inclusive and adaptable plan. Like the nursing process, these steps are not separate and distinct, but a continuous process.

For the 3rd consecutive year, the July issue of NASN School Nurse has published this NASN Annual Highlights Report. This 2013 report emphasizes current NASN priorities, discussing the updated strategic plan and providing insight into the accomplishments and strengths of our organization. Carolyn Duff, the newly installed NASN president, and Donna Mazyck, NASN executive director, collaborated to provide information of significance to NASN membership and stakeholders through the use of an interview format. As always, we encourage members to connect with NASN through a variety of formats outlined in the member center on our website (www.nasn.org).