26-27 School Nurse

School Nurse

Job Description

Position Title: School Nurse

General Characteristics:

Recruited by: Executive Director of Human Resources/Health Services Coordinator

Recommended for Appointment by: Executive Director of Human Resources/Health Services Coordinator

Salary: Based on education and experience

Working Relationships:

Type of Authority: Staff

Reports to: Principals, Health Services Coordinator

Consults with: Administrators, Health Services Coordinator, Colleagues, Parents, Students, Medical Community and Community Agencies, General Public

Minimum Requirements:

1. Qualified to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Iowa and holds an unrestricted license.
2. Certified in CPR or BLS (or obtain in the first 6 months).

District Recommendations:

1. B.S.N. or Registered Nurse with a bachelor's degree in a related discipline preferred.
2. Minimum of one (1) year experience in public health nursing, community health nursing, school health nursing or pediatric nursing preferred.
3. Willingness to obtain post-secondary teaching certification to teach dual credit health consortium courses in the secondary schools.

Basic Functions:

• Provides health services to strengthen and facilitate the educational process by modifying or removing health-related barriers to learning in the individual students.
• Promote an optimal level of wellness of students and staff by providing preventive health services to facilitate the students and staff's optimal physical, mental, emotional and social growth and development.
• Identify problems and disabilities and provide such services as case finding, health education, referring, and care in order to help prevent serious health problems and manage current chronic conditions.

Position Responsibilities:

The following responsibilities are not an exhaustive list and related, similar, or logical duties are performed as may be assigned or self determined:

1. Promotes and protects the optimal health status of school-age children
2. Provides health assessments
3. Obtains a health history
4. Screens and evaluates findings of deficit in vision, hearing, growth, etc.
5. Observes the child for development and health patterns in making nursing assessment
6. Identifies abnormal health findings
7. Develops and implements a student health plan
8. Interprets the health status of students to parents and school personnel
9. Initiates referral to parents, school personnel or community health resources for intervention, remediation and follow through
10. Provides ongoing health counseling with students, parents, school personnel or health agencies
11. Utilizes existing health resources to provide appropriate care of students
12. Maintains, evaluates and interprets cumulative health data to accommodate individual needs of students
13. Plans and implements school health management protocols
14. Participates in home visits when indicated to assess the family needs as related to the child's health
15. Develops procedures and provides for emergency nursing management for injuries/illnesses
16. Promotes and assists in the control of communicable diseases
17. Provides health education and anticipatory guidance
18. Provides direct health education, and health counseling to assist students and families in making decisions on health and lifestyles that affect health
19. Participates in health education directly and indirectly for the improvement of health by teaching persons to become more assertive health consumers and to assume greater responsibility for their own health
20. Serves as a resource person to the school staff members in health instruction
21. Coordinates school and community health activities and serves as a liaison health professional between the home, school and community
22. Acts as a resource person in promoting health careers
23. Engages in research and evaluation of school health services to act as a change agent for school health programs and school nursing practices
24. Provides consultation in the formation of health policies, goals and objectives for the school district
25. Where applicable, participates in the IEP plan development
26. Assist with the Medicaid claiming process and do claiming on qualified students

Demonstrated Knowledge and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

1. Principles and practices underlying professional nursing.

2. Principles and practices underlying the special field of school health.

3. Current trends in nursing and of literature in the fields of school health.

4. Organization and administration of other cooperating agencies.

5. State and local laws relating to health and social issues.

Ability to:

1. Participate cooperatively in a program of school health nursing.

2. Exercise professional judgment in making decisions.

3. Communicate appropriately, collaboratively, and effectively with students, parents, administrators, other school personnel, health care providers, and community agencies.

4. Demonstrate a genuine interest in the student population and its health needs.

5. Organize a health office and manage time.

6. Be a self-starter or self-motivated.

7. Use a computer and various software applications.