School Nurse

THIS IS A 5 DAY EMERGENCY POSTING Billerica Public Schools is seeking qualified Registered Nurse with at least 1 year of Pediatric or relevant experience. We seek a motivated nurse with good judgement, decision making, and communication skills. Candidates must understand the health needs of children and be able to work alone in a busy office. REPORTS TO: Coordinator of Health Services and Wellness and School Principal OVERVIEW: The school nurse will promote and maintain the health and well-being of students in the school setting in order to enable them to take full advantage of available educational opportunities. Coordinate in a unified manner with principal, coordinator, lead nurse, staff, family, physician, and community agencies to provide a comprehensive school health program that facilitates the maximum opportunity for individual students to access the curriculum. JOB RESPONSIBILITIES: • Assess the health needs of all children in the school setting. • Provide direct health care to students and staff which include: care within the scope of nursing practice to students and staff who have been injured or who present with acute illnesses, maintenance and support of chronic health conditions, implement scheduled and non-scheduled regiments and procedures. • Communication by phone, during meetings and face to face in office with parents and caregivers. • Some lifting, bending, kneeling, pushing and pulling is required to carry the "emergency go bag" when responding to medical emergencies, stocking medical supplies when providing direct service to students. • Ability to interact with students who may be experiencing an emotional outburst that becomes physical. • Respond to medical emergencies and needs of students and/or staff throughout the building and school grounds. • Communicate with parents and caregivers to recommend follow up with primary care physician. • Develop individual Health Care Plans for students with health concerns that include an emergency action plan as appropriate. • Monitors immunizations and assures appropriate exclusion from and re-entry into school. Authorizes exclusion and readmission of students in connection with infectious and contagious diseases. • Attend field trips to monitor students with health conditions which require nursing supervision in order to participate. • Distribution, collection and documentation of all required forms in a timely fashion. • Maintains up to date cumulative health records on all students. • Administration of medications and the performance of health care procedures that are within the scope of school nursing practice and are ordered by an appropriately licensed health care provider. • Appropriate delegation of care within applicable laws which involves initial assessment, training, competency validation. • Coordinate and complete mandated health assessment according to the departments agreed upon procedures. • Develop a clearly delineated plan to respond to health emergencies that follows the emergency disaster plan. • Provide professional development, presentations to parents and caregivers, implementing precautions and providing training for Epi-pen administration, blood borne pathogens and other infectious diseases and chronic conditions. • Act as a resource for health information to other professionals, committees and during policy review or development. • Advises regarding modification of the educational program to meet health needs of individual students. • Active participant in meetings among teams of professionals, such as: IEP, 504, Social Emotional, RTI, etc. • Reports communicable diseases as required by law. • Assesses patterns of illness or injury to determine source of concern. • Assesses emotional and environmental factors to decrease conditions not conducive to optimal health and learning, addressing and referring accordingly. • Provide classroom instruction related to health and wellness in collaboration with health teachers. • Prepares and maintains an inventory of health supplies and recommends necessary purchases as may be needed from time to time. • Prepares and submits reports to the Coordinator of Health Services and Wellness, Superintendent, board of health and state as required by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' rules and regulations. • Participate in committee work and professional development. • Performs other such duties as deemed necessary by the Coordinator of Health Services and Wellness. Candidate must be MA certified as a School Nurse with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and must be a Registered Nurse currently licensed with the Massachusetts Board of Registration. BSN required. Candidates must possess current certification in CPR.