School Health Services

The school health services providers are an important team member in providing preventive services, early identification of problems, interventions and referrals to foster health and educational success. AAP emphasizes the importance of partnerships between school health services and the medical homes in a policy statement, Role of the School Nurse in Providing School Health Services.

Importance of School Health Services

Common chronic health conditions in school-aged children are increasing and require monitoring, medication administration, medical procedures and treatment and potential emergency care and planning.

A school nurse is a central need for school health services and has the assessment skills to manage the following potentially emergent situations as well as provide daily care for:

  • Chronic conditions (diabetes, asthma, seizures, etc)- A school nurse coordinates and conducts assessment, planning and implementation of individualized health care plans for safe and effective management of students with health conditions during the school day.
  • Mental Health support can be provided by school nurses through mental health promotion, assessments and intervention strategies.
  • Emergency care and developing and following proper protocols are done by school nurses.
  • Injury and acute illness care and prevention strategies such promoting safety guidelines are provided by school nurses.
  • Medically complex conditions can require tube feeding, tracheostomy care, catheterization that nurses are able to provide.
  • Oral Health prevention and care can be provided by school nurses through advocating for healthy menus and referrals to community providers and promote school-based or school linked dental sealant and/or fluoride varnish programs.

Additionally, there are several benefits to having a school nurse on site to monitor, maintain and implement school health services:

  • Immunization rates are higher in schools with school nurses.
  • Communicable disease care and control improve due to close working relationships with local health departments.
  • Less chance for medication errors that occur more with unlicensed personnel in schools.
  • School nurses can identify environmental hazards at school, based on injury patterns.
  • Health screening can be supported such as vision, hearing, BMI and oral health.
  • School nurses can help reduce absenteeism.

School Health Services and TEAMS

What the school health services partner can contribute:

What the school health services partner can gain:
  • Nursing experience
  • Direct contact and relationships with students
  • Understanding of family context and insight into patient behavior
  • Ability to disseminate information to school community
  • Daily management of conditions
  • Care coordination
  • Patient education
  • Screening and referrals
  • Safety net care
  • Emergency response
  • Improved connections to other community services and referral resources
  • Public health and medical expertise
  • Access to resources
  • Ways to leverage or increase funding
  • Advocates for the value of school health services
  • Opportunity to improve coordination with other providers/systems

 

Identifying a TEAMS Team Member 

Ideally, the health professional who oversees the school district’s health services department, such as the health services director or lead nurse, will serve as the school district health services representative on the TEAMS team. If a school district does not have a nurse leadership position, a school nurse with the time, interest, skills and support from other nursing staff can assume this role. As the team member with direct involvement and responsibility for the district’s health services, this individual typically takes the leadership role on the team.


Helpful Resources

School Nursing Practice Framework - The National Association of School Nurse's School Nursing Practice Framework™ creates an overarching structure that includes concepts integral to the complex clinical specialty practice of school nursing. The framework provides a graphic illustration of the key principles of professional school nursing practice, reflecting the organization's stance for evidence-based best practice and providing focus to priority school nursing activities.

School Nurses Help Keep Students Healthy - A CDC information website that covers the role of school nurses in schools.

How Schools Work and How to Work with Schools - This guide, from the National Association of State Boards of Education, is intended to assist anyone who would like to work more closely with various facets of the education system—with policymakers, school administrators, teachers and other school staff—to improve the health, safety and well-being of children and youth in schools.

 

This webpage was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number NU38OT000282-04-00, funded by the Healthy Schools Branch - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the American Academy of Pediatrics and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Last Updated

06/23/2022

Source

American Academy of Pediatrics