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

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.

Mandatory health screenings and state-required health forms may sound similar, but they serve different purposes. Health screenings help catch potential issues—like vision or hearing problems—that could affect a student’s ability to learn. They’re all about early detection and intervention. On the other hand, state-required health forms (such as physicals, immunization records, and medication authorizations) are tied to school attendance and ensure students meet public health guidelines.

Since requirements for both vary by state, school nurses need to stay on top of what’s needed for their students. Knowing the rules helps keep students in compliance while also supporting their overall health. Communicating with families, working with administrators, and keeping track of deadlines are all part of the job. When school nurses understand these requirements, they help create a healthier school environment for everyone.

As for a single link listing all state health requirements for students, there isn’t one universal resource that covers every state’s specific mandates. However, a good place to start is the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) or each state’s Department of Education or Health Department website.

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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RESOURCES

Pure Med Central-

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

Check out these other popular DOASN blog posts & links.

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 (my IT department created a new Google email address that I use only for Calendly)
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

The following brochure was created for use with parents, but it is editable & you could probably switch things up a bit for use with staff & students!

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

School Nurse Suggestions

by School Nurses for School Nurses

click to read the comments in The School Nurse Facebook Groups

After student office visits, the next thing to think about is charting of those office visits! Read about my system HERE.

Check out these other popular DOASN blog posts & links.

Monday, June 20, 2022

Communicating As The School Nurse

Does the thought of calling parents cause you anxiety?

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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: When in doubt always call home. Parents would rather hear all of the details from you during the school day then some of the details from their child after school hours.

Does the thought of calling parents cause you some anxiety? Try having a phone script (general outline) to get the conversation started might help. I typically start every call the same way....

"Hi, this is First Last Name, the nurse at School Name, is this parent first and last name?" If the parent sounds concerns- let them know you're not calling because of an emergency, but because of XYZ "I'm calling because I have Student Name in the office and they are complaining of XYZ' or "I'm calling because Student Name is in the the office and I wanted to let you know that during PE class XYZ. We've (insert assessment and treatment here). Just a heads up before they got home from school and you were surprised to see. I'll let you talk to Student Name and make sure you feel OK with them going back to class. I'll need to talk to you before you hang up. OK?"

The School Nurse Facebook Groups have posts with wonderful comments full of great suggestions from other school nurses just like you! Check them out...