School Nurse

Job Description

Job Description

Primary Purpose:

• Responsible for assessing, planning, implementing, coordinating and evaluating school health services within the context of a coordinated school health program, which includes providing a safe and healthy environment for students.

Qualifications:
Education/Certification:

• Graduate of an accredited professional nursing education program (required)
• Valid registered nurse license to practice professional nursing in Texas
• Vision, Hearing, Spinal   and Acanthosis Nigricans screening certification (preferred)
• Basic Life Support Provider certification (required)
• AHA Basic Life Support Instructor certification (preferred)

Special Knowledge/Skills:

• Familiar with the Texas Nursing Practice Act and the National Association of School Nurse’s standards of nursing practice
• Knowledge of national, state and local student health requirements
• Strong organizational, communication and interpersonal skills

Experience:

• Two years of professional nursing experience (required)

Major Responsibilities and Duties:

• Work as a member of the school staff, within the framework of the school health program to provide for the health needs of all the students
• Provide direct health care to students who become ill or injured during the school day
• Refer students, as appropriate, to primary health care provider or community resources
• Eliminate or minimize health problems, which impair learning
• Implement a system for the identification of students with chronic/acute health care needs
• Follow action plans and physician’s orders, and develops individual health plans, as needed
• Maintain parental authorization records for health care services and release of health information
• Communicate information contained in the action plan with staff on a need-to-know basis
• Maintain an orderly, clean, safe and properly supplied clinic
• Develop an effective system for the acquisition, maintenance and use of supplies and equipment for the school health facility
• Maintain health services equipment, according to policy
• Maintain emergency bag and evacuation system, per PISD guidelines
• Conduct emergency response drills, per PISD guidelines
• Participate in development of the campus emergency health and crisis plan
• Follow district guidelines in the establishment of first responder teams
• Follow immunization laws for Texas, which pertain to each grade level
• Implement communicable disease control in the school, including monitoring, surveillance and assessing
• Assist with disease prevention and outbreak-management within the school
• Participate and follow through with local and/or federal, state, city or county health department requests for audits of records or communicable disease reports
• Conduct or coordinate screening programs of state mandated grade level and transfer students
• Provide referrals to appropriate health care provider for abnormal results on all state mandated screening
• Maintain accurate record of state mandated immunizations, Vision, Hearing, Spinal and Acanthosis Nigricans
• Assure that school health services and activities are appropriately documented
• Provide comprehensive services in all components of the coordinated school health program
• Establish safe systems of medication administration with proper documentation
• Adhere to HIPAA/FERPA and confidentiality rules and regulations
• Maximize the quality of in-class time by reducing the incidence of health related absenteeism
• Act as an advocate and liaison between home, school and the community regarding concerns that may affect learning
• Provide classroom health instruction, serving as a resource to students and staff
• Participate in the development and implementation of health promotion activities
• Train and/or follow up with training to prepare Unlicensed Diabetes Care Assistants (UDCA)
• Train and monitor all unlicensed staff designated to provide health services, including delegated procedures, the administration of medication to students, and other related mandated activities
• Follow procedure notebook for science camp preparation
• Train staff and volunteers for camp in appropriate actions pertaining to student specific health needs
• Identify the health care needs of a specific student population and availability of health services/resources
• Collaborate with community agencies to provide resources
• Provide professional health leadership to administrators and school staff
• Follow the guidelines of the Nurse Practice Act and follows The Scope and Standards of Practice
• Follow all rules, regulations and policies of Plano ISD and follow directives from supervisor
• Follow attendance policy as assigned by supervisor
• Perform other functions that may be assigned by the administration and/or supervisor

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Monitor trained Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAPs) and UDCAs

Working Conditions:
Mental Demands:

• Ability to communicate effectively (verbal and written); interpret policy, procedures, and data; coordinate district functions; maintain emotional control under stress

Physical Demands/Environmental Factors:

• Frequent district-wide and/or statewide travel; occasional prolonged and irregular hours; work with frequent interruptions; frequent standing, stooping, bending, kneeling, pushing and pulling; prolonged use of computer and repetitive hand motions; occasional lifting up to 50 pounds; biological exposure to bacteria and communicable disease