School Nurse

School Nurse

School Nurses provide patient care to students and staff, community/public health education and promotion, and health related investigations in order to promote wellness in the school setting. This is a mid-level professional classification. Employees perform moderately complex duties with a variety of related tasks. The distinguishing characteristic is to provide direct patient care and education as an independent health care professional in the school setting. Work is performed with considerable independence in accordance with accepted professional nursing practices and standards. Employees work under the general direction of the Director of Health Services.

Essential Functions:

• Determine eligibility of students to enroll and attend classes in the school district through verification of immunizations
• Act as a community health resource regarding routine and specialized health issues and activities in the school setting
• Assist in the development and implementation of IDEA, 504 reports, and required services
• Coordinate outreach public health education
• Assess and attend to personal health needs of students
• Recommend and/or refers students for further evaluation of health issues or concerns
• Provide direct care to students, which includes first aid, medical treatments, administers medications, and health screenings
• Conduct training and educational workshops for students, parents, and staff on health education and promotional topics
• Conduct regular inspections of the school environment for health and safety concerns
• Provide case management services to families
• Network with other school personnel and health care professionals when appropriate
• Consult with governmental agencies to enhance health and safety practices and activities in the school setting
• Maintain electronic medical student records for every student enrolled in the assigned school
• Counsel and educate students and families on the importance and necessity of follow-up treatments, disease prevention, and related health problems
• Counsel staff members regarding personal, physical, and mental health problems
• Develop student health care plans, as needed
• Establish goals, evaluate progress, and assist in the development and delivery of student health care plans for medically fragile students
• Maintain knowledge and fully comply with state, local, and school district laws, regulations, policies and procedures
• Cooperate with school personnel in identifying and meeting social, emotional, and physical needs of students
• Participate as an active member of the Student Support Services Team with the school counselor and school social worker
• Submit reports as requested by the Principal, Director of Health Services, and/or Director of Student Support Services
• Submit reports as required by governmental agencies
• Attend workshops, in-services, and staff meetings scheduled by the Office of Health Services
• Annually earn a minimum of 20 professional development or continuing education hours
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Previous school nurse experience preferred, but not required
• Ability to provide professional registered nursing care in a school setting
• Ability to utilize a variety of reference, descriptive and advisory data and information such as patient records, lab reports, immunization records, service directories, nurse's handbooks, procedure manuals, and non-routine correspondence
• Ability to perform mid-level data analysis including the ability to audit, deduce, assess, conclude, and appraise health status of students
• Ability to apply principles of influence systems such as leading, teaching, directing, planning, coordinating, and controlling
• Ability to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to problem resolution
• Ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness, and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental and/or subjective criteria, as opposed to criteria that are clearly measurable or verifiable
• Ability to lift, carry, push and pull objects and materials of moderate weight, 12 to 20 pounds, such as transporting medical supplies, equipment, educational materials, and movement, transferring, or repositioning of students
• Ability to operate, maneuver, or adjust equipment, machinery or tools such as stethoscopes, nebulizers, thermometers, peak flow meters, suction machines, audiometers, vision charts, balance beam floor scales, computers, printers, copiers, and fax machines
• Tasks may risk exposure to adverse environmental conditions such as disease, pathogenic substances, toxic/poisonous agents, disease, or violence

Education: Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, Biology, Health Administration, Health Services, Social Work or related health field (required) School Nurse ISBE licence

Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a motor vehicle Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, and pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body Light work usually requires walking or standing to a significant degree

Working Conditions and Environment: Work is routinely performed in a typical interior/classroom environment Very limited or no exposure to physical risk

Disclaimer: The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned. In connection with hiring for this position, the district shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or national origin.