Thursday, June 30, 2022

School Nurse Office Decor

How Do School Nurses Decorate Their Offices?

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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: People spend a countless number of hours at work. If having a nicely decorated space makes you feel better and work more efficiently, then do it! You'll have zero regrets. Check out these school nurse office pictures for inspiration for your own office space!

A well-decorated and organized school nurse office plays a crucial role in creating a welcoming and calming environment for students. Thoughtful decor and a tidy space can help ease anxiety and promote a sense of safety and comfort, making it easier for students to seek help when needed. An organized office also enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of the school nurse, ensuring that supplies are readily accessible and that the nurse can provide care promptly and professionally. Investing in a pleasant and orderly office atmosphere fosters a positive, supportive space that benefits both students and staff.

SHARING YOUR SCHOOL NURSE SPACE

I learn so much by seeing what other school nurses are doing, including how they organize and decorate their office spaces! How many of you would love to take a tour of a few school nurse offices? I know I would. Since traveling from school to school isn't in our yearly budget, how about virtual school nurse office tours instead?

Ready to get started?

LET'S GET INSPIRED BY LOOKING AT THESE SCHOOL NURSE OFFICE SPACES!

NURSE HOLLY'S TEXAS SIZED SCHOOL NURSE OFFICE

NURSE NELDA'S POSITVELY PERFECT SCHOOL NURSE OFFICE

Nurse Brandi's Pastel Palace

I'd love to see your office or even your favorite corner in it! If you're interested, please send your pictures, and I'll write a blog post featuring them. Here is a Google form to complete if you're interested.

https://forms.gle/ReEyvwqVtU6Rtnoa7

Check out these other popular DOASN blog posts & links.

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

What should a new school nurse think about before the job starts?

10 THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

FOR THE NEW SCHOOL NURSE

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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: Most new school nurses are extremely excited but also a little nervous about starting the job. Here are ten things any new school nurse should think.

Have you ever heard the phrase "you don't know what you don't know"? It sums up the beginning of many new adventures; even a new career as a school nurse! As a new school nurse you want to be as prepared as possible, but you might not know where to begin. You might not even know what questions to ask yourself in order to be prepared. You might not know where to even start in your planning process. Don't worry- as a school nurse with over 25 years experience, I compiled a list of 10 things any new school nurse should think about before their first day on the new job.

These are the ten hottest topics that many new school nurses ask about and want to learn more about. This list will serve as a great starting point for you and hopefully this FREE top ten guide helps you be more prepared for your new career as a school nurse.

Take a look at more details for each topic BELOW

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The School Nurse and Student Health Screenings

Health Screening in the School Setting

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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: Mandatory health screenings are different from state-required health forms that students need for school attendance. Both screenings and forms vary by state, but both are essential. School nurses should be aware of the specific requirements for their students to ensure compliance and promote student health.

Health Screenings at School

Even though 40% of children who attend school have been diagnosed with a chronic health condition (CDC, 2019), there may be even more students with undiagnosed health conditions. School nurses, being on campus, are ideally positioned to provide initial health screenings and make referrals for follow-up care with physicians.

Examples of health screenings that a school nurse or other trained professional might be able to provide within the school setting include (but are not limited to):

Vision Screenings
Hearing Screenings
Scoliosis Screenings
Dental Screenings
Mental Health & Behavioral Screenings
Hunger Screenings
BMI Screenings
Lead Exposure Screenings

Are unsure of the mandatory health screenings in your state? If so, look at the Department of Public Health site for your state, then search for something general such as "school health requirements"; these search results will hopefully lead you in the right direction. Or send a message or search the site of your state's school nurse consultant- search the list HERE!

Illinois Student Health Screening Requirements

Vision Screenings
"Vision screening must be provided annually for preschool children 3 years of age or older in any public or private educational program or licensed child care facility, and for school age children in kindergarten, second and eighth grades; are in special education class; have been referred by a teacher; or are transfer students." IDPH, 06/21/2022
Hearing Screenings

"Hearing screening must be provided annually for preschool children 3 years of age or older in any public or private educational program or licensed child care facility, and for all school age children grades kindergarten, first, second and third; are in special education class; have been referred by a teacher; or are transfer students. These screening services shall be provided in all public, private, and parochial schools." IDPH, 06/21/2022

In addition to understanding these requirements, it's crucial for school nurses to communicate effectively with parents and guardians about the importance of these screenings and forms. Keeping detailed records and scheduling reminders can help streamline the process and address any potential issues before they become barriers to a student’s health and academic success. Click the image below to see some of the forms I use when it comes to vision and hearing screenings!

Student Health Screenings

Facebook Conversations for School Nurses by School Nurses

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Are you a new school nurse?
If so, sign up below for an exclusive New School Nurse newsletter!

https://theschoolnurse.llc/new-school-nurse-sign-up

RESOURCES

Pure Med Central- Missed opportunities: Do states require screening of children for health conditions that interfere with learning?

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School Nurse Office Visits

Student Office Visits to the Nurse's Office

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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: If you know me, you know I'll say I don't like a lot of change. However, if you work with me then you know I'm always changing things! Don't be afraid of change; be willing to try new things- something might work better!

I don't like change yet I'm always changing.

How Do Students Visit The Nurse's Office

The majority of a school nurse's day revolves around taking care of students' health needs. How will those students arrive at your office for their visit?

Over the years, my office has implemented various methods for students to visit. These different methods ensure that students can access the health services they need efficiently and effectively. They include:

Arrive with a pass from the teacher (sample passes here)
Walk in
Teacher phones or emails and asks if there is time and space for the student to come down
Student makes an appointment

Yes, you read that correctly—students make appointments! Recently, we've asked that students make an appointment. Many schools use a program/app called CALENDLY. My office started using this program during the 2021-2022 school year because the school counselor's offices were already using it, so our students and staff were familiar with it.

This process helps students learn how to describe their complaints and needs. This approach not only fosters independence but also helps students become more articulate about their health concerns. These are great skills for high school students to learn!

Here are a few key Calendly points (IMO):

FREE option provides flexibility, but a paid option is available
User friendly
Links to a Google calendar
The nurse can adjust appointment times (we allow 5 minute), how much time between appointment, and how far in advance an appointment can be made (we allow 5 days)
You can create questions that students must or may answer when they are scheduling their appointment. We have students select (via drop down options) their "reason" for the visit and their preferred "outcome" too.
We've been able to take care of some needs via email which keeps the student in class & avoids exposure to germs in our office
We still allow walk-in appointments- and we still get a lot of walk-ins, but we try to see those who made an appointment first
The nurse can block out appointment times for lunch break and meetings or days off etc.
You can create reports (if students make an appointment) which is great for end of the year reporting
There are probably many more uses that we're not aware of too!

In addition to Calendly and paper charting, we also use Skyward to chart medication inventory and administration. Also, beginning with the 2022 - 2023 school year, we will begin charting basic Office Visits in Skyward and ditch our Google form (another change!). This change will allow us to gather more accurate office visit & medication numbers for our EOY BOE report (end of year, board of education)!

When Do Students Need To Visit The Nurse's Office

Communicate with your staff about the different levels of care your office provides. Give examples and let them know what is needed for a student within each category to be sent to your office (e.g., teacher pass, escort, emergency button, phone call, email, appointment, etc.).

I email a brochure at the beginning of each semester to all school staff. The information includes:

A welcome to the nurse's office page with contact information
Information on how to view their student's with chronic health conditions in Skyward
Types of services we offer (urgent, nonurgent, grab n go table)
Ongoing list of students who have access to use the school elevator
Ongoing list of students who have immediate and unlimited bathroom passes
School attendance guidelines
Links to all staff education guidelines for common conditions with school protocols (asthma, seizures, diabetes, allergies, etc.)
An invitation to come down and introduce themself to the nursing staff

For more ideas you can read these popular conversations with The School Nurse public FB group!