Nurse Manager

Nurse Manager

The Nurse Manager provides districtwide clinical and administrative leadership for school health services. The position supervises, supports, and evaluates school nurses; establishes consistent, evidence-based practices across schools; and ensures that health services comply with applicable federal and Massachusetts laws, regulations, professional standards, and District policies. The Nurse Manager serves as the District's principal nursing resource and public-health liaison, responds to urgent and complex health situations, and leads the District's health-services response during communicable-disease outbreaks, epidemics, pandemics, and other public-health emergencies.

Leadership, Supervision, and Evaluation

Provide clinical and administrative supervision, coaching, support, and formal evaluation of school nurses in accordance with the APAA collective bargaining agreement, applicable nursing standards, District procedures, and the District's educator-evaluation requirements, as applicable. Establish clear expectations and consistent standards of practice for nursing services across all schools while recognizing building-specific student needs. Convene and lead regular nursing-team meetings; provide consultation, case review, mentorship, and opportunities for collaborative problem-solving. Participate in the recruitment, interview, selection, onboarding, orientation, assignment, and retention of nurses and other health-services personnel. Coordinate daily and long-term nursing coverage, including substitute coverage, summer programming, field trips, athletic events, transportation, and other District activities requiring nursing support. Conduct regular school visits and reviews of health-office practices, records, medication systems, equipment, supplies, and emergency readiness.

Clinical Program and Student Health Services

Plan, implement, evaluate, and continuously improve a comprehensive, culturally responsive, and linguistically accessible school health-services program that supports student access, attendance, safety, well-being, and readiness to learn. Develop, maintain, and communicate districtwide nursing protocols, procedures, standing orders, emergency guidelines, and a school health-services manual in collaboration with the school physician and appropriate District leaders. Oversee compliance with requirements governing immunizations, physical examinations, communicable-disease control, medication administration and delegation, mandated screenings, concussion management, emergency medications, and student health records. Support nurses in developing and implementing Individualized Health Care Plans, Emergency Action Plans, 504 accommodations, and health-related services in IEPs for students with acute, chronic, complex, or technology-dependent medical needs. Provide consultation on complex clinical matters, student re-entry following illness or hospitalization, health-related attendance concerns, and safe participation in school, transportation, field trips, athletics, and extracurricular activities. Promote trauma-informed, disability-inclusive, and equitable nursing practices and help identify and address barriers to health care that may affect student access or educational participation.

Emergency Preparedness and Crisis Response

Serve as the District's lead nursing contact during urgent or complex medical events and provide direct response or on-site support when circumstances require. Participate in districtwide emergency planning, incident-command activities, threat and safety planning, continuity-of-operations planning, and after-action review from a school-health perspective. Lead and coordinate the health-services response to infectious-disease outbreaks, epidemics, pandemics, environmental health concerns, and other public-health emergencies. Maintain current emergency protocols and help ensure appropriate supplies, medications, automated external defibrillators (AEDs), communication systems, and trained personnel are available. Coordinate with local boards of health, emergency medical services, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and other agencies as appropriate.

Professional Learning and Staff Training

Assess the professional-learning needs of school nurses and design or coordinate relevant professional development, clinical updates, case-based learning, and orientation for new nurses. Plan, provide, or arrange required and appropriate health and safety training for nurses, paraeducators, administrators, coaches, teachers, substitute staff, and other personnel. Coordinate CPR, first aid, AED, emergency medication, medication-delegation, infection-control, bloodborne-pathogen, and other role-appropriate training; maintain or oversee required training records. Ensure that any delegated nursing activities are assigned, taught, supervised, documented, and evaluated consistent with law, regulation, and professional nursing standards.

Compliance, Policy, Data, and Communication

Monitor changes in federal and state law, regulation, agency guidance, public-health recommendations, and school-nursing practice; advise the Director of Student Services and District Leadership regarding implications and recommended action. Prepare, review, and submit required state, federal, grant, and District reports accurately and on time, including health-service, screening, immunization, medication, and communicable-disease data. Use aggregate health data to identify trends, evaluate services, guide prevention efforts, inform staffing and resource recommendations, and support continuous improvement while protecting confidentiality. Maintain systems that support accurate, secure, and consistent student health records and appropriate information-sharing under applicable confidentiality laws and District procedures. Communicate clearly and sensitively with students, families, staff, health-care providers, public-health partners, and community organizations, including during urgent or evolving situations.

Operations, Resources, and Partnerships

Develop and administer the school health-services budget; establish districtwide purchasing priorities and oversee the procurement, inventory, and appropriate maintenance of health-office supplies and equipment. Identify and pursue grant or partnership opportunities that strengthen student health services and ensure compliance with grant requirements. Maintain effective working relationships with the school physician, local health departments, hospitals, community health providers, emergency responders, and nursing education programs. Provide nursing consultation regarding school facilities, environmental health, infection prevention, and accommodations necessary to support students and staff. Perform other duties consistent with the role and assigned by the Director of Student Services or Superintendent.

Required Qualifications

Current, unrestricted license as a Registered Nurse in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an accredited institution. Current Massachusetts DESE license as a School Nurse. Massachusetts DESE administrator license as Supervisor/Director (non-core, all levels), or eligibility to obtain and maintain the license within a District-established timeframe. At least five years of progressively responsible professional nursing experience, including substantial experience in school nursing, pediatric/adolescent nursing, community health, or public health. Demonstrated experience providing clinical leadership, supervision, mentoring, program coordination, or staff evaluation. Current certification in CPR/AED and first aid through a nationally recognized provider; ability to maintain instructor credentials or coordinate qualified instructors. Working knowledge of laws, regulations, and professional standards applicable to Massachusetts school health services. Successful completion of all employment screening requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree in nursing, nursing administration, public health, education, health administration, or a related field. National Certification as a School Nurse (NCSN). Experience supervising and formally evaluating professional staff in a unionized public-school setting. Experience leading an organizational response to an infectious-disease outbreak, pandemic, or other public-health emergency. Experience with medication-delegation programs, school-health data systems, budgeting, grants, and state reporting. Ability to communicate effectively in Spanish or another language represented in the District community.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Strong clinical judgment and the ability to remain calm, organized, and responsive during emergencies and rapidly evolving situations. Ability to lead professionals through clear expectations, collaborative problem-solving, coaching, accountability, and fair evaluation. Ability to interpret complex legal, regulatory, public-health, and clinical guidance and translate it into practical school-based procedures. Strong written, verbal, facilitation, training, data-analysis, and organizational skills. Ability to collaborate effectively across schools, departments, municipalities, agencies, families, and community partners. Commitment to confidentiality, ethical practice, cultural responsiveness, disability inclusion, and equitable access to school health services. Ability to manage competing priorities, exercise discretion, and respond outside regular work hours when urgent districtwide circumstances require.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

The position requires regular travel among District schools and community locations; frequent use of a computer and telephone; and the ability to communicate, observe, assess, and respond effectively in school and emergency environments. The employee must be able to provide or assist with emergency nursing care, move throughout school buildings, and lift or reposition supplies and equipment consistent with the demands of the role. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable a qualified individual to perform the essential functions. Terms of employment and evaluation Salary, work year, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment are governed by the APAA collective bargaining agreement. Performance will be evaluated by the Director of Student Services in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement, District procedures, and applicable law.