3 ways to work with your school nurse to get a head start on students’ health

As students, teachers, and school staff members get settled into the new school year, one of the key top-of-mind conversations that are happening in and out of the classroom is how to keep students healthy so they are ready to learn. Nationally, there is a shortage of nurses, especially those who are trained or interested in working in school health. According to American Progress, employment levels for registered nurses declined by 3 percent between 2020 and 2021, the largest decline in at least 20 years. 

When hiring and integrating a school nurse, it’s important to implement ways that you can increase trust and connection with the nurse early in the school year. The tips below will help your school or educational organization integrate a qualified school nurse into your community, help your nurse feel valued, and will encourage retention and a longstanding working relationship. 

Communication is key: Meet with your school nurse as often as needed to ensure everyone is aligned on your organization's health and wellness goals. Include your nursing team in school activities like important celebrations, meetings that impact student health, staff introductions, and back-to-school events. Oftentimes, nurses are in the school building but don't always feel like they are a part of the team. Engaging and speaking to your nurses regularly will have a positive impact on your school's ability to retain your school’s nurse.

Lean on your nurses and trust their expertise: Be clear and state how your organization will utilize your school nurse ensuring they bring value to your school's health program. Include everything your nurse needs to know and trust their expertise when coming up with health solutions. For example, has there been an uptick in absences among students who have asthma? Your school nurse can be instrumental in determining why this is happening and can implement strategies to decrease these types of events. 

Your school nurse is also key to increasing your school's student compliance with important things like receiving immunizations. Your nurse can coordinate a school-based vaccine clinic event, reach out to families who are missing immunizations and can provide health education to your school community about the importance of vaccines.

Work as a team: Remember to work together to ensure success. Assist your school nurse with communicating with parents and team members. Oftentimes, the administrative team needs to support your nurse's need for mass communication to share important student health information like immunization records, health certificates, oral health certificates, medication and treatment orders, and medications that need to be administered at school. With a collaborative and positive work environment, your school and students will be healthy, safe, and happy.

It is important that school organizations have a qualified nurse who takes the health and safety of students seriously, and that this nurse is an active member of your school’s team. At the end of the day, we all have the same goal, and that is to support the health and wellness of our students.

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At School Health Partners, we pride ourselves in partnering with schools and education-based organizations to provide school health consulting and nursing staff. We match our quality nurses (RNs and LPNs) with the very specific health and wellness needs of the individual public, charter, private, and parochial schools in the District of Columbia. Our mission is to support schools so students are healthy and ready to learn. 

Sharon Bostic is the founding CEO of School Health Partners and Chief Nurse. She holds a doctorate in nursing practice and 25+ years of combined experience as a registered nurse and a nurse leader in school and pediatric nursing. Under Sharon’s leadership, she has demonstrated responsibility for the provision of school health services in accordance with the standards and guidelines of the National Association for School Nurses, American Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and relevant Federal and District of Columbia laws and regulations.

Please visit our website at schoolhealthpartners.com to learn more about how we can provide school health consulting and temporary nursing staffing personnel.