School Nursing: Making the Most Out of Your First Year

1. School Nursing: Making the Most Out of Your First Year Guidelines and a Timetable from Two Veterans Holly Bauer, RN and Joanne Schoohs, RN

2. August • -Build relationships • Remember names- use a notebook • Spend time with secretaries and maintenance personnel: get to know them- you will need them for many things throughout the year! • Administrators- get to know them: • Help them to understand what you do • Who will be evaluating you? • What do they see as priorities in your job? • Collaborate with them on new ways to do things at school.

3. August, Cont’d • -Join WASN/NASN- Get a Mentor • -Call neighboring districts and your health department and talk with fellow school nurses—they will have some helpful tips • -Publicity • Write an article for the school newsletter explaining your role and contact information • Meet with your medical advisor- sign annual agreement and discuss priorities for the year • Be visible at the Open House or Registration Days • Create a web page on the school’s website

4. August, Cont’d • -Immunization audit using WIR- send reminder letters -Can you run a compliance report through your school’s software? • -Staff training (health staff)- usually a three hour meeting with all secretaries and regular subs. • -Order supplies for the year/ restock all health rooms • -Prepare/present at initial all staff inservice -Bloodborne pathogens -Policy Updates -Wellness initiatives -Staff wellness surveys • -Coaches meeting/training on BBP and CPR • -Meet with program coordinators -Farm To School -H1N1 (last year) -Fluoride rinse/Seal a Smile

5. August, Cont’d • -Make phone calls to parents of children with special health needs • -Meet with families, teachers, administrators for children with special health needs. • -Perform annual AED Checks (remember to keep a log so that you know when you need to order supplies)

6. September • -Try not to drown or quit • -Focus on following up with students and families who have life threatening conditions such as allergies, diabetes, asthma, seizure disorders and also with those staff members who are working with medically complex children (g-tubes, trachs, brittle diabetics) • -Meet 1:1 with students discussing medication taken at school.

7. September, Cont’d • -Develop current health condition update/update computer data base • -Convey critical information to teachers • This information should be only given to those staff members who are working with a student. • Your computer system may have a way of sorting and refining the lists so that it can be teacher specific. • Only conditions that affect learning, or those that a teacher needs to be aware of to keep the child safe, should be disclosed.

8. September, Cont’d • -Immunization data entry, audit, and legal notices sent on the 15th day (this year, that was the 22nd of September) • -Discuss your role in special ed referrals and reevaluations with the Pupil Services Director • -Teach handwashing lessons • -Attend pupil services meeting • -Organize health screening day- call parents (ask the principal or secretary who has helped in the past—you want reliable help for this day! ) • -Get yourself accustomed to how the screening will take place (have you used an audiometer before?)

9. September, Cont’d • -You may want to try students if there is a university near you. SLP grad students are extremely helpful with hearing screening! • -Prepare for prenatal visits- it is nice to see teens at least once per month during pregnancy • -Perform monthly audit of all medication administration • -Submit categorical aid time • *** remember to keep track of statistics for your end of the year report**** • Continue to utilize your mentor and school nurse neighbors.. things are going to come up!

10. October • -Now that you’ve got your feet wet, attend a Board meeting and introduce yourself • -Submit the medical advisor contract • -Let them know your goals • -Attend pupil services meeting • -Health Screening Day: Vision- k, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9th grade Hearing k-3rd grade Height and weight on k-5, 7th, and 9th graders

11. October, Cont’d • -Attend a Fall Conference – great place to network and trouble shoot • -Perform monthly audit of all medication administration • -Submit categorical aid form • -Immunizations: Second Legal notices and report to the County due • -Plan a staff wellness meeting- it is fun to see who else in interested in wellness on the staff • -Plan some fun activities throughout the year • -Assist with Child Development Days (this varies from District to District- many do this in the Spring) • *** remember to keep track of statistics for your end of the year report****

12. November • -Finish screening/rescreening, phone calls and referrals sent to parents— -Remember PBW vouchers from NASN • -Attend parent-teacher conferences if you can -Sit at a table with hand outs -Take bps -Distribute information • -Attend pupil services meeting • -Start Classroom presentations- allergies, handwashing, cpr, etc

13. November, Cont’d • -Check out p and p manual in depth – now that you know how things operate, you may want to tweak the procedures or add additional policies • -Meet with Wellness committee Discuss activity incentives for winter months- collaborate with phyed teachers • -Blood pressure screening- 11th graders • -Monthly audit of all medication administration • -Submit categorical aid form *** remember to keep track of statistics for your end of the year report****

14. December • -Continue with IEP health assessments, attend any IEP, RTI meeting possible • -Staff Wellness meeting • -Classroom presentations; fitness and exercise, basic first aid, handwashing • -Collaborate with leadership teacher or service learning coordinator on any health initiatives available in your area (READY Training, FIT kids Packers program, movin’ and munchin’, GASP, SOS, Safety or Health fairs, etc) • -Perform monthly audit of all medication administration • -Submit Medicaid reimbursement form *** remember to keep track of statistics for your end of the year report****

15. January-February • -Continue with IEP health assessments, attend any IEP, RTI meeting possible • -Run an AED drill in each building • -Continue with IEP health assessments, attend IEPs and RTI meetings • -Restock health rooms • -Continue with classroom presentations • -Attend pupil services meeting • -Send new emergency information out to teachers- many students switch at semester or teachers have put the list safely away

16. January-February, Cont’d • -Submit categorical aid form • Start to tweak forms for next year • -Attend staff wellness meeting • -Attend a conference, do some networking • -Coordinate sex ed and puberty talks with 5th grade teachers and health teachers -Help to present or bring in guest speakers • -Audit all health files- do you have everyone’s? Have students left that you weren’t aware of? • -Connect with each of your health aides/secretaries -Discuss needs, frustrations, safety issues *** remember to keep track of statistics for your end of the year report****

17. March • -Continue with IEP health assessments, attend any IEP, RTI meeting possible • -This is a GREAT month for CPR and AED training • -It is also a nice time to get your p and p manual completely updated -Borrow one and adapt it- it is easier than writing your own -NASN website- lots of fantastic resources • -Attend staff wellness meeting • -Attend pupil services meeting • -Perform monthly audit of all medication administration • -Submit categorical aid form *** remember to keep track of statistics for your end of the year report****

18. April • -Attend WASN conference (April 25th-27th- Holiday Inn, Stevens Point) • -Spend some time after the conference making a list of changes that you’d like to implement in your district and discuss this list with your supervisor • -Continue with IEP health assessments, attend IEPs and RTI meetings • -Attend pupil services meeting • -Perform monthly audit of all medication administration • -Submit categorical aid form *** remember to keep track of statistics for your end of the year report****

19. May- the end is in sight! • -Do an inventory of all supplies -Continue with IEP health assessments, attend any IEP, RTI meeting possible—May is usually a busy month for these- beware! • -Assemble immunization and other health information for graduating seniors -Attend pupil services meeting • -Perform monthly audit of all medication administration • -Submit categorical aid form • -Assemble medications for students to bring home- get some assistance in making phone calls to get meds home safely • -Consider attending the NASN conference *** remember to keep track of statistics for your end of the year report****

20. June • -Complete your EOY report and submit it to the board • -Complete the school nurse survey • -Order supplies for next year • -Prepare health care plans and summer immunization reminders to be sent in July • -Organize your health rooms and documents • -Pack up senior files for the safe • -Submit categorical aid form • You made it!

21. July • -RELAX! – sign your contract for the next year • -DON’T lose sleep over worrying about September!