Showing posts with label office visits. Show all posts

Sunday, October 27, 2024

How School Nurses Can Use Data to Advocate for Their Impact

Data-Driven School Nursing: Show Your Impact With Ease

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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: If you’re like many school nurses, you’re used to getting asked, “How many students did you see today?” It’s a common question, but it represents a powerful opportunity to demonstrate the true scope of your daily work. With a data-driven approach, you can move from tallying numbers to telling the story behind the numbers.

Why Track School Nursing Data? In today’s education landscape, it’s no longer enough to just tell others—whether it’s administration, the school board, or fellow staff members—about how busy you are; you need to show them. Structured, accurate data helps make your role and its impact more visible. A well-organized system for data collection does more than save time; it empowers you to demonstrate the value of your work. And by tracking data, you can answer key questions like:

How frequently do students need to visit the nurse’s office?
What are the most common reasons for student visits?
How does the nurse’s office support overall school attendance?

Getting Started with the Google Form Nurse Log Sheet

Enter the Google Form Nurse Log Sheet, a straightforward tool I created for busy school nurses. This form allows you to easily log daily visits, track recurring issues, and collect data for easy reporting. You can even customize it! Add fields for specific teachers, treatments, or common complaints so you have all the information you need at your fingertips. This tool turns your day-to-day log into a powerful end-of-year report.

At the end of the school year, you can compile your data into a polished report to share with school administrators and the Board of Education. I do this every year using Canva to create a clear, two-page summary that highlights key data points from the school year. This quick, professional presentation shows administrators exactly how you’re impacting student success.

Ready to start collecting data that speaks for itself? Purchase your Google Form Nurse Log Sheet here!

Digging Deeper With Skyward Reports

If you’re using Skyward, you have another fantastic way to gather insights. Running reports from Skyward’s original version offers even broader access to student health data and trending insights. Over the years, I’ve used Skyward to analyze peak periods (think flu season!) and to prepare for the school board meetings with clear, evidence-backed information on how we’re supporting students’ health needs.

Want to learn more about maximizing Skyward’s reporting features? Learn more here!

Make Your Work Count

Data collection might seem like one more task, but it can be a game-changer when it’s quick, efficient, and set up to work for you. Instead of scrambling to tally visits or recall specifics, let these tools do the heavy lifting. From advocating for resources (including more office help!) to highlighting the impact of your efforts, you’ll have the data to back you up and make a lasting impression. How do you track and report your yearly data?

Check out these other popular DOASN blog posts & product links.

Sunday, December 3, 2023

When To Visit The School Nurse

The Ten B's | When To Visit The School Nurse

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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: Sometimes students need to be taught when they need to visit the nurse's office. This book will help!

Check out The School Nurse Says reel and follow her on Ig!

For Immediate Release

The Ten B's : When To Visit The School Nurse

New Children’s Picture Book - Hot Off The KDP Press!

The Ten B's : When To Visit The School Nurse is a top new release and currently ranked #6 on Amazon! It is the perfect addition to the library of any elementary school nurse, teacher, or student.

The Ten B's : When To Visit The School Nurse teaches young readers about the importance of knowing when to visit the school nurse. Children are introduced to ten bees with medical issues making it necessary for them to visit the school nurse.

This picture book is illustrated with vibrant colors that will captivate young readers. The story is written in a simple and engaging style that is perfect for children of all ages.

The Ten B's : When To Visit The School Nurse is an excellent resource for school nurses, teachers, and parents who want to teach children about the importance of being healthy and knowing when to seek medical attention.

Read this book in it’s entirety to one one student or to an entire classroom. Individual pages can be also used independently as an introduction to a health lesson on each health topic.

The Ten B’s Include:

BLOOD SUGAR
BAD BREATHING
BROKEN BONES
BURNING UP
BIG BUMP
BARFING
BOWEL ISSUES
BLEEDING
BEE STINGS
BELIEVABLE

BELIEVABLE tends to be the most asked about reason! Let me explain a little...

From The 10 B’s: Why “Believable” Matters- “Believable” is one of the most empowering B’s in the book and often the most misunderstood. It’s not about accusing students of faking; it’s about helping staff use professional judgment before sending students to the health office.

If a student says they’re sick but they’re laughing, trying to avoid a test, or always asking to leave before lunch or recess… it’s okay to pause, observe, and recheck.

“Believable” encourages staff to ask:

Does this really seem like something that needs nursing care right now? This mindset helps reduce unnecessary visits and supports a healthier, more focused learning environment- for everyone.

BUY IT HERE

(affiliate link) https://amzn.to/3Z63K7G

Make it fun, make it comfortable, make it your time to educate your students!

Popular Book Recommendations

Within each category list, you'll find book recommendations.

The best book yet though is listed below & you can see the inside pages HERE!

Best of luck & have fun.

Check out these other popular DOASN blog posts & product links.

Student Office Visits to the Nurse's Office

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One thing you can count on as a school nurse- students will show up at your door! That daily routine is a big part of the job.

But how they get to your office? That’s where boundaries come in. Setting a few simple expectations helps keep things running smoothly and makes sure everyone gets what they need (including you).

Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: If you know me, you know I don’t love 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 than you expected.

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 meeting students’ health needs. One of the first systems you’ll need to establish is how students are expected to visit your office. Over the years, I’ve tried many different approaches to manage office traffic and support student access to care.

Here are the main methods we use in my office:

Ways Students Visit the Nurse’s Office

Teacher pass – This is the most common method and works well for non-urgent needs. (sample passes here)
Walk-in – Students may walk in if it’s an open time or they have urgent needs.
Phone call or email from teacher – Staff may call to see if space/time is available, but I've received emails from students too!
Scheduled appointment – Yes, we actually allow students to book a nurse’s appointment!

Why Appointments Work for Us

We started using Calendly during the 2021–2022 school year after noticing our school counselors were already using it. Because staff and students were familiar with it, the transition was smooth.

Scheduling appointments helps students articulate their health concerns and build independence- two skills that are essential for high schoolers.

Here are a few key Calendly points (IMO):

Key Calendly Benefits:

Free version available (we use it!)
User-friendly interface
Syncs with Google Calendar (our IT department created a dedicated Google account for this)
Flexible settings – We allow 5-minute appointments, include 5-minute buffer time, and limit scheduling to 5 days in advance.
Custom questions – Students select the reason for their visit and preferred outcome (dropdown options).
Reduces unnecessary visits – Some issues can be handled via email, keeping students in class.
Appointment prioritization – We still accept walk-ins but prioritize students with appointments.
Custom scheduling blocks – I block out time for lunch, meetings, or days off.
Data tracking – Helpful for end-of-year reports.

We’re still discovering ways to make the most of Calendly—but it’s already been a game-changer for managing visit flow.

Charting Student Visits and Medications

In addition to using Calendly and some paper charting, we use Skyward for documenting medication inventory and administration. Since the 2022–2023 school year, we’ve also been documenting basic office visits in Skyward instead of using our former Google form (another change!)

This change has improved our reporting accuracy and made our end-of-year Board of Education (BOE) report easier to compile. If you’re tracking visits and meds separately, consider combining your documentation into one system if your district allows it.

With all that said, I know some school nurses- and even teachers- use a Google Form to request nurse office visits. It’s a great option for Google-based schools, especially when it comes to tracking and triage. You can easily edit the form above to fit this type of use, too!

When Should Students Be Sent to the Nurse?

Clear communication with staff is essential to reduce unnecessary disruptions and ensure timely care. At the beginning of each semester, I email a brochure to all staff with:

A welcome message and contact info
How to view their students with chronic health conditions in Skyward
The types of services we provide (urgent, non-urgent, grab-n-go table)
School attendance guidelines
Links to staff education for managing chronic conditions (e.g., asthma, seizures, diabetes, allergies)
An invitation to stop by the nurse’s office to meet our team

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

Whether you're new or experienced, setting clear routines for nurse office visits can help your day run smoother and ensure students get the care they need. Don’t be afraid to try something new—you might just love the change!

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.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Embrace the Frequent Flyer

FFP : Frequent Flyer Program

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Helpful School Nurse Tip: Yes, even in the school setting you will encounter frequent flyers. Learn to embrace them early on- you'll thank yourself later!

Embracing the Frequent Flyer

Embracing the “frequent flyer” is a conscious goal of mine every school year. And every year, I’m reminded of an article I read a long time ago- one that stuck with me and still shapes how I approach these visits. It was written by the original school nurse blogger (and my personal inspiration), Gerri Harvey.

Gerri had a detailed and one-of-a-kind website called School Nurse Perspectives. It was packed with everyday tips and real-world insights that spoke directly to the heart of our work. I read her posts over and over again. Though Gerri has since retired- and retired her blog- I’m lucky to still keep in touch with her through the gift of social media. Her wisdom continues to inspire me both professionally and personally.

One of Gerri’s posts that never left me was about “frequent flyers.” She reminded us that there’s always something more behind these visits. I believe that wholeheartedly.

What Gerri Said

On her blog, Gerri talked about those students we often call "frequent flyers"—the ones who show up day after day. She reminded school nurses that there’s almost always something more going on beneath the surface. I believe that too. After all these years, I’ve seen it time and time again.

Frequent Flyer Goal

With Gerri’s reminder in mind, try looking at your frequent flyers through a different lens. Instead of feeling frustrated when Student Idee shows up again, pause and ask yourself: What’s bringing them here today?

Is there an unmet need they’re trying to meet by coming to your office so often? Maybe it’s comfort, connection, or just a few quiet minutes in a safe space. When you take the time to build trust and relationships, you’ll start to uncover what they really need—and why they keep returning.

So here’s the challenge: learn to welcome those visits. You might just surprise yourself and miss them when they stop visiting so often.