A brief overview of IHPs & School Nurses

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Helpful School Nurse Tip: An Individualized Healthcare Plan (IHP) doesn't have to be perfect. Think of it as a working nursing document that grows with the student and changes as their healthcare needs change.

IHP Overview

Individualized Healthcare Plans (IHPs) have been part of school nursing practice for decades and remain one of the most important tools school nurses use to provide safe, individualized care for students with complex health needs.

Real quick—the terms "health care" and "healthcare" are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference between the two.

The phrase health care typically refers to providing medical services to treat illness or injury, while healthcare is a broader term that includes promoting health, preventing illness, and supporting overall well-being.

That distinction is important in school nursing.

An Individualized Healthcare Plan isn't simply a document about treating a medical condition. It helps organize the nursing care, health promotion, accommodations, and interventions a student may need to safely participate in the school day.

Based on the nursing process and developed by the school nurse, an IHP is written by the school nurse, for the school nurse. It serves as the nursing foundation from which other school health documents—such as Emergency Action Plans (EAPs), staff procedures, accommodations, and communication tools—may be developed to support a student's health, safety, and academic success.

Because school nursing practice varies from state to state, every IHP should be developed in accordance with your state's Nurse Practice Act, school nursing standards, district policies, and current evidence-based practice.

The IHP is created by the school nurse for the school nurse.

NASN Position Statement

The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) describes the role of the school nurse this way:

"It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that the registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse) initiates and develops an Individualized Healthcare Plan (IHP) for students whose healthcare needs require more complex school nursing services. An IHP is a plan of care written by the registered nurse for students with or at risk for physical or mental health needs (ANA & NASN, 2017). It is the responsibility of the school nurse to annually evaluate the IHP, as well as to update the plan if deemed appropriate, to reflect changes in the student’s healthcare needs and address nursing interventions and/or student healthcare outcomes." NASN, 2023 IHP Position Statement

Individualized Healthcare Plans vs. Emergency Action Plans

One of the biggest misconceptions new school nurses have is believing that the Individualized Healthcare Plan should be shared with everyone who works with the student.

In reality, the IHP is a nursing document that guides nursing assessment, planning, interventions, and evaluation.

Most school staff don't need the entire IHP.

Instead, they typically need Emergency Action Plans (EAPs), school procedures, accommodations, or specific health instructions that clearly outline what to do, when to respond, and who to contact during a health event.

Providing the right information to the right people helps protect student privacy while ensuring staff are prepared to respond confidently when needed.

As school nurses, we play an important role in promoting best practices—protecting confidentiality while helping create a safe and supportive learning environment for every student.

Writing Your First Individualized Healthcare Plan

Writing your first Individualized Healthcare Plan can feel intimidating, but it gets easier with practice.

Remember, your goal isn't to create the perfect IHP—it's to create a nursing plan that clearly guides the care your student needs during the school day.

Every district has different expectations, so use your state's Nurse Practice Act, district policies, and school nursing standards to guide your documentation.

Over the years, I've created editable IHP templates to help school nurses spend less time formatting documents and more time focusing on student care. Each template is fully editable and can be customized to fit your district's needs.
Templates provide a starting point—not a finished product. They help ensure you don't overlook important information while still allowing you to individualize each student's plan.

View my digital IHP options here.

Condition-Specific IHP Templates

As my resource library continues to grow, I'm also creating condition-specific Individualized Healthcare Plans for some of the health conditions school nurses encounter most often.

Current templates include: