When available, the Online Course format is included with the hard copy, eBook, or audio book formats!
Release Date: April 6, 2016
Expiration Date: April 30, 2019
School nurses today are challenged with increased role stress, high student-nurse ratios, lack of time, and varying degrees of school support. As practitioners, school nurses today are helping to manage more complex health and special needs conditions such as type 1 diabetes and autism in the school setting. School nurses also serve as educators, teaching students and families about disease prevention and optimal health maintenance. School nurses working with families of diverse social and ethnic back-grounds strive to provide family-centered care by involving family members in the health, learning, and development of their children. Therefore, there is a need for school nurses to remain current in their roles and responsibilities to ensure that they are providing current, evidence-based care to the students in their care. Also, school nurses must be knowledgeable not only about the rules and regulations related to health care, but also concerning education-based rules and regulations that affect the nursing care they provide.
This course provides an overview of current nursing practice in the specialty area of school nursing. This overview is targeted to both the novice and experienced school nurse. After completing this course, the school nurse will demonstrate current knowledge of the five content components included in the National Certification Examination for School Nurses: health problems and nursing management, health appraisal, health promotion and disease prevention, professional issues, and special health needs.
- Identify the role of the school nurse in managing the school health office, overseeing immunizations and medication administration, and screening regular student health assessments
- Review the educational preparation, school laws, documentation requirements, and legal risks involved in the practice of school nursing today
- Describe the actions and responsibilities of the school nurse in providing health education to all students, including those with special needs, such as autism spectrum disorders, or sexual and mental health issues
- Explain the role of the school nurse in preventing or managing risk-taking behaviors such as drug use and school violence in children and adolescents
- Discuss the interventions of school nurses in identifying and preventing obesity and child abuse among school-age children
- Describe the responsibility of the school nurse in providing culturally sensitive health care to students
- Identify the role of the school nurse in providing a safe school environment and avoiding environmental disasters, such as exposure to toxic substances
- Describe the current uses of technology in the school health office
- Summarize timely/troublesome topics affecting the practice of school nursing today
Janice Loschiavo, MA, RN, NJ-CSN, is an adjunct instructor at William Paterson University Graduate Nursing Division and at Caldwell College in the Education/Nursing Division. She had 26 years of experience as a school nurse before retiring from those positions in 2007. Ms. Loschiavo has received recognition for excellence both in teaching and as a school nurse, including the New Jersey Distinguished Alumni Award (2014), the Governor's Teacher Recognition Award in 2006-2007, the nominee for Disney Teacher of the Year (2002), the New Jersey State School Nurse of the Year (1994-1995), the Bergen County School Nurse of the Year (1994-1995), and the state nominee for National School Nurse of the Year (1994-1995). While a school nurse, she was responsible for participating in Child Study Team meetings, maintaining health records, conducting health screenings, and providing first aid to students; teaching health classes; conducting faculty inservice training (anaphylaxis, child abuse, and first aid); organizing health fairs; running workshops for teachers and parents; and serving as liaison to the Division of Youth and Family Services. Ms. Loschiavo contributed to the recently published book Health Counseling: A Microskills Approach for Counselors, Educators, and School Nurses, Second Edition, edited by Richard Blonna. Advance for Nurses published her article, "Considering School Nursing?" in January 2013.
- Courses must be completed on or before the expiration date noted in the course description above.
- You must score 75% or higher on the final exam and complete the course evaluation to pass this course and receive a certificate of completion.
- Through our review processes, Western Schools ensures that this course content is presented in a balanced, unbiased manner and is free from commercial influence. It is Western Schools’ policy not to accept commercial support.
- All persons involved in the planning and development of this course have disclosed no relevant financial relationships or other conflicts of interest related to the course content.