SCHOOL NURSE

School Nurse

The school nurse is employed by Scotland County Schools. The school nurse serves school(s) as assigned. The position is full time, regular, and salaried. The salary range is based on the state school nurse pay schedule. The school nurse reports to their assigned school principal.

The professional school nurse is responsible for planning, implementing, coordinating and evaluating school health services within the context of the Coordinated School Health Program Model. The school nurse serves in the roles of program manager/coordinator, case manager/direct care provider, collaborator/advocate, educator and counselor for Scotland County Schools in assigned school(s).

The complex role of the school nurse demands, but is not limited to, and understanding and knowledge of:

• Community, including community as a system and aggregates as clients
• Pediatric/Adolescent Nursing
• Public Health/Community Health Nursing
• Health counseling, mental health and crisis intervention
• Communicable Disease
• Applicable laws, regulations and standards pertaining to school nursing practice (NC Nurse Practice Act, Standards of School Nursing Practice and the Eight Components of a Coordinated School Health Program)
• School Health law
• Special education legislation and services
• Case finding, case management and health advocacy
• Program management, including personnel supervision
• Family theory, assessment and intervention
• Leadership, networking and collaboration
• Ethnic and cultural sensitivity and competence
• Contemporary health and psychosocial issues that influence children, families and the community
• Health care delivery systems and the concepts of the primary health care model
• Building student, staff and family capacity for adaptation, self management, self-advocacy and learning
• School as a non-traditional health care setting
• Development, management and evaluation of school health programs
• Environmental health within the school community

Skills related to this important role include the ability to:

• Plan, coordinate and supervise the work of others
• Deal tactfully with others and exercise good judgment in appraising situations
• Make independent and timely nursing decisions and to triage
• Secure the cooperation and respect of students, faculty and staff
• Elicit needed information and maintain effective working relationships
• Collect data to direct evidence based practice
• Record accurately services rendered and interpret and explain records, reports, activities, health care plans, accommodations and medical interventions
• Identify health related barriers to learning (i.e., at risk behaviors, financial, cultural, economical, etc.)
• Effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of students, staff, parents and the general public

Must have mobility to carry out the responsibilities and duties as listed. Frequent prolonged standing, walking, bending, reaching and sitting may be required. Travel to school sites and transporting of school nurse equipment/supplies is required.

The school nurse is responsible for planning, implementing, coordinating and evaluating school health services that: (a) maximize the quantity of in-class time by reducing the incidence of health related absenteeism (b) eliminate or minimize health problems which impair learning (c) promote the highest degree of independent functioning possible (d) promote student, staff and community awareness or and participation in healthy behaviors. More specifically, the school nurse:

• Identifies the health care needs of a specific student population and availability of health services/resources
• Plans and implements services to meet those health care needs
• Assesses and evaluates the effectiveness of services and health care plans
• Collaborates with a wide variety of school system and professional disciplines to enhance the educational process and promote an optimal level of wellness for students, families and staff.

The school nurse functions independently in assigned schools under state and agency guidelines and policies. Work is self-directed and clinically autonomous. Supervision may be exercised over volunteers, unlicensed personnel, and/or licensed personnel. School nurse roles and specific responsibilities are as follows:

• School Health Services Manager/Coordinator (25%)
• Case Manager and Direct Care Provider for Students with Special Health Care Needs and Those Needing Health Services (50%)
• Collaborator/Advocator (10%)
• Educator for School and Community Concerns (5%)
• Counselor for Health Concerns of Students and their Families and the Staff (10%)

At a minimum, the school nurse is expected to:

• Address essential functions within job description
• Collect data for the NC DHHS School Health Nursing Survey and Program Summary (End of Year Report)
• Collect data for the daily and monthly activity reports
• Attend staff meetings
• Perform quarterly medication audits

Job Qualifications:

• Required: registered nurse, currently licensed in North Carolina
• Baccalaureate-prepared registered nurse in nursing or health-related field working toward national certification with the stipulation that certification is completed within 3 years of hire date. In accordance of National Board Certification, it is recommended that the nurse sitting for the exam have 3 years of school nursing experience.
• Two years school nursing or public health experience