School Nurse

Overview

Middle Way School (MWS) is a progressive Buddhist day school located in Saugerties, NY, serving nearly 100 students ages 3 to 13. Founded in 2018, MWS is a lab school pioneering a new educational model. Our approach recognizes the whole person, centering social and emotional learning, relationships, dignity, and compassion as the foundation for all learning.

The School Nurse is responsible for the health and medical-emergency safety of all students at MWS, owning the school’s health policies, procedures, and day-to-day nursing care. This role ensures compliance with New York State school health requirements, provides direct care to students during on-campus hours, and serves as the primary point of contact for families on all health-related matters. The School Nurse works closely with the Senior Director of Operations and staff to build consistent, well-understood health protocols across the school.

Responsibilities

• Direct Student Care
  • Provides direct care during on-campus hours to students (ages 3-13) for injuries, acute illness and ongoing health conditions
  • Administers medications in accordance with physician orders and individual health care plans.
  • Supports students with chronic or complex medical needs (e.g. allergies, asthma, diabetes) and maintains individualized health care plans for them
  • Determines when a student’s condition requires parent notification, urgent care, or 911
  • Trains and maintains documentation for designated non-licensed staff authorized to administer medication as permitted under New York law (e.g., epinephrine auto-injectors for students with an Individualized Healthcare Plan, and other medications for students capable of self-directed or supervised administration)
  • Conducts first-response assessments and daily health screenings as needed.
• Health Policy & Program Ownership
  • Owns and maintains the school’s health and medical-emergency safety policies and procedures, reviewing and updating them regularly
  • Establishes clear protocols for staff handling of minor injuries/illness during hours when the nurse is not on campus, and trains staff accordingly
  • Serves as the school’s primary resource and decision-maker on health-related matters, policy questions and incident response.
  • Obtains and maintains a non-patient-specific ("stock") epinephrine order from a NYS-licensed physician or nurse practitioner, renewed annually, and establishes/maintains the school's policies and procedures governing stock epinephrine storage, access, and use
• New York State Compliance
  • Manages all New York State-mandated health requirements, including student immunization records and health examination/physical forms.
  • Ensures compliance with state and local reporting requirements for communicable disease control
  • Maintains accurate, confidential student health records in accordance with state law and school policy
• Communication & Collaboration
  • Serves as the primary point of contact for parents/caregivers on student health matters, including incident follow-up
  • Communicates proactively and clearly with administration, faculty, and staff regarding student health needs and any changes in protocol
  • Collaborates with the Senior Director of Operations on health-related decisions affecting the school community
  • Coordinates with the school’s district-provided nursing services to ensure continuity of care
• Summer Camp Health Director
  • Serves as Health Director for the school’s Summer Camp program, overseeing camper and staff health needs for the duration of the summer session (5-6 weeks)
  • Maintains the health records, medication administration, and emergency response protocols for registered children during camp
  • Ensures the camp’s health practices remain consistent with New York State requirements

Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned from time to time as business needs require.

Core Competencies

• Clinical proficiency in pediatric first aid, medication administration, and care plan management
• Fluency in New York State school health regulations and how they apply day-to-day
• Strong assessment and triage skills
• Effective trainer able to teach non-clinical staff a procedure clearly and confirm real understanding
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, particularly with parents and families

Qualities

• Sound judgment and discretion, especially in time-sensitive or emergency situations
• Comfortable working independently and exercising autonomy, given limited on-site hours
• Proactive, approachable communicator who builds trust with families and staff
• Commitment to MWS's mission and community
• Warm, patient, and professional with a genuine passion for working with children and teens ages 3-13.
• Comfortable building policies and procedures from the ground up rather than inheriting an established system — energized, not daunted, by helping shape how a young school's health program works
• Humor!

Required Education/Experience

• Active, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in New York required
• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Nursing
• Current CPR/AED/First Aid certification
• 3-5 years experience as a school nurse preferred

Working Conditions

• Ability to position oneself to work with young children and remain in a stationary position for periods of time.
• Ability to observe details at close range and communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information to ensure children’s health and safety.
• Ability to occasionally work in outdoor weather conditions.
• May require moving items weighing up to 30 lbs. Some supports are available to assist with this.

All employees must pass a New York State background check. We hire and enroll without discriminating against any identifying factor which may include race, age, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socioeconomic background. We will make accessibility accommodations for individuals with disabilities to the fullest extent possible. As an institution and as individuals we recognize that we have the responsibility to actively change the power differences that perpetuate biases against historically underrepresented groups. Our inclusion efforts are a dynamic process. We welcome your experience and invite your input on how our school community can continue to evolve.