R Director of Health Services

School Nurse Leader

Job Goal: To manage the school district's school health and wellness program by providing nursing leadership within the school system, coordinating the clinical aspects of the comprehensive school health program, and collaborating with other members of the health services and health education team. In this process, the nurse leader uses a public health model of assessment, policy development, and quality assurance to strengthen and facilitate the educational process for students.

Qualifications:

• Current license to practice as a Registered Nurse in Massachusetts.
• Current license from the DESE as a School Nurse. Additional DESE Administrator's license preferred.
• Baccalaureate or Master's (preferred) degree in nursing from an accredited nursing program.
• Minimum of three years experience in school nursing or related field.
• Certification in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), AED, first aid, and trainer's certification.
• Knowledge of school health and school nursing practice; emergency preparedness, and environmental health.
• Experience in supervision and evaluation preferred

Reports To and Evaluated By: Executive Director of Social-Emotional Learning and Student Services

Performance Responsibilities:

Needs Assessment and Planning

• Using available demographic, health and school system data identifies health needs of the student population, and develops goals for the health program which are shared with health staff and administrators.
• Compiles data and presents to school administrators as needed.
• Coordinates planning with interdisciplinary colleagues (i.e. health and PE educators/department heads) in the comprehensive school health education, and with community agencies as appropriate, including the School Physician, Board of Health, Department of Public Health, and the health education/personal development department heads in the district.
• Implements a comprehensive school district emergency preparedness plan which is linked to local emergency medical services.
• Implements a comprehensive school district wellness plan, and chairs the district wellness committee.
• Raises district awareness of the impact of environmental health, and, when necessary, collaborates with district administrators on steps necessary to assess environmental health.

Implementation

• Fulfills state requirements that all immunization requirements, medications, treatments, and screenings follow the Massachusetts Department of Public Health mandates and laws.
• In collaboration with the School Physician develops, implements and updates written policies and procedures for clinical services and programs addressing health issues, e.g., immunizations, medication administration, services for children with special health care needs, school-wide injury prevention program, and special programs, such as smoking cessation.
• Provides orientation and training to new health staff and health staff substitutes.
• Maintains and distributes a health staff substitute list to all schools.
• Develops, implements, and trains health staff on the documentation systems at both the individual student level and the programmatic level, which includes an electronic database system.
• Provides clinical consultation to the health staff, physical education/health educators and other administrative and teaching staff.
• Participates in interdisciplinary teams such as the Student Services team and a district leadership team to ensure that integrated systems are in place which address the comprehensive health needs of the student population, and promotes a healthy school environment.
• 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.
• Promotes and provides health staff with positive linkages and referral mechanisms to community providers for a range of services dealing with child and adolescent health.
• Seeks opportunities to interpret the health needs of school-age children and adolescents, the goals of the health service program, and the importance of health education to administrators, school committee members, faculty, families and the general community, through special reports, the media, website, and health fairs or other special events.
• Prepares, manages, and administers the district health service budget and various grants. Seeks opportunities to apply for outside sources of funding for the school health service program.

Evaluation

• Compiles statistical reports as required by the school system, and state agencies.
• Supervises, observes, and evaluates staff, as required by state regulations and district contract.
• Reviews changing trends in health needs and the outcome of programs to determine need for revision of program goals, health policies, and/or health protocols.

Staff Development

• Responsible for implementing an ongoing continuing education program for health staff that aligns with the goals of the health program.
• Provides ongoing formal and informal feedback to health staff about their progress in achieving the goals of the health program, encouraging their continued education and professional development.
• Provides CPR and First Aid training to staff. Some of these trainings may occur during the contract hours, and others may occur outside the contract hours.

Other

• Collaborates with summer school program director(s)/coordinator(s) on health staff needs based on summer program participants' health profiles. This includes participating in interviewing health staff, training of health staff, reviewing students' health profiles, and ensuring appropriate health supplies and health equipment are available.
• Ensure summer school health needs are addressed, health procedures and policies are in place, and to provide support to the summer program director(s)/coordinator(s) and nursing staff. This must include on-site visits the first week of the summer program.
• Ensures summer registration procedures are in place addressing health and immunization requirements.
• Collaborates with local nursing education institutions, e.g., provides student practice in the school health programs, participates in nursing research; seeks opportunities to give consultation on the specific issues of school-age children and adolescents.
• Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director of Social-Emotional Learning and Student Services or Superintendent.

Job Environment:

Work is conducted in a typical office setting within the school environment. Meetings are occasionally held outside of the school environment at town or other agency offices. Operates office and medical equipment. Exposure to hazards includes exposure to communicable diseases and other blood borne pathogens; possible exposure to hazards when proper safety precautions for medical equipment are not followed. Has access to a great deal of confidential information. Must be able to communicate effectively in person, over the phone, in writing, and electronically.

Physical Requirements:

Light to moderate physical effort required to perform duties. Ability to lift and/or position students for examination. Ability to lift office supplies. Ability to sit for long periods of time while working. Close vision at or correctable to normal range in order to work with numbers and details for long periods of time during the work day. Daily travel throughout the town.

Terms of Employment: Per BAO contact (198 days)

Salary: Per BAO contract

Barnstable Public Schools is an EOE and strongly encourages minority candidates to apply.

Posted until filled