LPN & RN for School Nursing

Registered Nurse (RN) (Itinerant)

Job Goal - To provide appropriate health services to the students of the Huntsville City School System, to reduce student absenteeism due to illness and injuries and provide mandated student health services.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Provides health services to students within the Huntsville City School System as required by medical mandated needs or other health conditions dictated and assigned according to school system needs and accepted Standards of School Nursing Practice as published by the American Nurses Association, the National Association of School Nurses, and the Alabama Board of Nursing (ABN) Nurse Practice Act and in compliance with federal, state, and local education agency procedures, guidelines, and policies as applicable to school health services.

Supervises Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) as assigned and assists with job-related concerns within the scope of practice.

Serves as a medical resource to teachers, principals, students, parents, the community (i.e., Red Cross, ADPH, DHR, MD offices etc.), and other faculty by providing relevant health information related to health education.

Acts as a liaison between the school district, students' families, medical professionals, and various agencies to promote effective patient case management.

Attends in-service training events and activities (i.e., professional development, school staff meetings, health service meetings, etc.) regarding school nursing procedures, processes and practices, as well as computer skills-based training.

Performs student health screenings (i.e., scoliosis, vision, head lice, etc.), provides early detection of communicable diseases, and provides appropriate notification as required by applicable federal and state laws and as requested by faculty members and/or the student's parent/guardian, with consent as required.

Communicates needs for medical referrals to the student's parent/guardian, documents and provides information as needed to the referred medical professional, and follows up with the medical professional and student's parent/guardian as needed.

Documents and reports suspected cases of child abuse and neglect to supervisor for guidance as required by federal and state laws.

Triages sick and/or injured students and provides emergency/non-emergency medical care and procedures as needed; follows infection control policies and procedures for the exclusion and readmission of students with communicable notifiable infectious and/or contagious diseases and reports to the Alabama Department of Public Health as required by law and local guidelines as provided by the CDC.

Implements health care management plans (i.e., IHP, EAP, CAP) for chronically/acutely ill students (emergency/non-emergency) as developed and prepared by the student's physician and/or parent/guardian; instructs, educates, and provides follow-up with staff or school representative impacted by the plan and documents education. Updates plans and applicable procedures as necessary.

Creates health care management plans (i.e., IHP, EAP, CAP) for chronically/acutely ill students (emergency/non-emergency) when not provided by the student's physician and/or parent/guardian.

Instructs individuals and groups on topics related to health care management plans, illness and injury prevention, documentation training, etc. as needed.

Provides annual refresher training and monitoring of Medication Assistants using the medication assistant check-off list and observes the Medication Assistants' techniques and actions and submits list of those trained each school year in order to promote competence in compliance with nursing license guidelines.

Reviews and completes the state-required Immunization survey for student immunization records (i.e., blue cards) and communicates with school administrators and students' parent/guardian regarding any deficiencies, according to applicable state laws and regulations.

Participates in school-based committees and meetings regarding the health and wellness of students (i.e., IEP/504 meetings, Crisis Action Team, Wellness Committee, etc.) as needed.

Collects and enters data into the computerized student database as required by the State Department related to nursing interventions, clinic visits, responses to care, etc. (i.e., immunization, chronic illnesses, medication, and various other records, confidential data, etc.) for the purpose of documenting and providing reliable information and monitoring health progress in an accurate, timely, thorough, and clear manner.

Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Registered Nursing degree from an accredited school of nursing with at least three (3) years of experience working in a school or medical setting. Must possess a valid nursing license to practice in the state of Alabama, a valid Alabama driver's license, and current CPR/AED certification. Must be proficient in computer and typing skills.

Physical Requirements

Requires exerting 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10-25 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly.

Terms of Employment

187 days. Salary as recommended by the Superintendent and approved by the Board.

This specification has been designed to represent the general nature and level of work found in this position. As such, it is not intended to contain all duties and qualifications of an employee in this position. Consequently, it is not intended to be perceived as an identification of essential job functions as required by ADA. Note: The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or logical assignment to that position.

Alabama State Department of Education