School Nurse

School Nurse

Responsible to: School Nurse Leader, Building Principal

Job Summary: Responsible for assessing the health needs of students and developing a program to meet those needs.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Using available demographic, health and school system data, identifies health needs of the student population.
2. Based on the needs of the student population, develops program goals, objectives and action steps.
3. Provides direct nursing care as needed to meet the needs of students.
4. Participates in the development of an interdisciplinary plan for each building to ensure that students in need of services are identified in a timely manner and appropriate intervention is initiated.
5. Works with all school administrators to ensure consistent communication and transition of health services across grade levels.
6. Develops and implements written policies and procedures for the clinical services and programs addressing health issues.
7. Develops and implements documentation systems at both the individual student level and the programmatic level.
8. Provides an accurate, cumulative, specific, objective and confidential record on the health status of each student.
9. Provides clinical consultation to health education staff, physical educators, administrative and teaching staff, students and families.
10. Participates in interdisciplinary teams.
11. Carries out communicable disease prevention and infection control based on current guidelines for universal precautions, prevention of blood borne pathogens exposure and hazardous medical waste disposal.
12. Ensures that there is an emergency care plan in place, which is communicated to all staff and is closely coordinated with community emergency care procedures.
13. Promotes positive linkages and referral mechanisms to community providers for a range of services dealing with child and adolescent health.
14. Compiles statistical reports as required by the school system and state agencies.
15. Reviews changing trends in health needs.
16. Collaborates with local nursing education institutions.

Qualifications:

1. Must have valid Department of Education certification as a school nurse in Massachusetts.
2. Must possess a minimum of a baccalaureate in nursing from an accredited nursing program.
3. Have a minimum of three years experience in school nursing or a related field.
4. Maintain CPR certification.
5. Complete ongoing continuing education programs pertinent to the evolving specialty area of school health and school nursing practice, as well as meet the continuing education requirements for certification and licensure in Massachusetts.

Gardner Public School District