ROLE OF A SCHOOL NURSE IN PUBLIC HEALTH 1

School Nurse Experience

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Course Number: Course Name

Instructor

Due Date
ROLE OF A SCHOOL NURSE IN PUBLIC HEALTH 2

School Nurse Experience

It seems to be the role of the "National Association of School Nurses (NASN)” that each

and every child has accessibility to a school nurse practitioner every day[ CITATION NAS20 \l

1033 ]. The school nurse plays a pivotal task that connects education and health. Based on the

principles of care, the services offered by a school nurse involve public health, leadership,

integration of care, and advancement in quality.

School nursing is indeed a specialized nursing discipline that enhances the well-being,

health, and academic success of children. Preserving children safe, healthy, and prepared to learn

in school must be a primary focus for all education and health systems. With nearly 55.9 million

pupils in public as well as private schools, educational facilities are ideal places for preserving

the health of children, and school nurses are ideally placed to address student health needs.

School nursing is focused on public health [ CITATION NAS20 \l 1033 ]. The aim of public health

transcends the individual's emphasis on environmental health promotion along with disease

prevention and is among the key roles of school nurses. Furthermore, school nurses have a

cultural competence to offer effective care throughout culturally diverse groups.

School nurses assist in primary prevention by delivering patient information that supports

mental and physical health with advising regarding health choices, prevents illness, and increases

school performance. Attempting to address such aspects as risk-reducing habits, healthy

lifestyles, day-to-day activities, developmental needs, and proactive self-care. Qualified school

nurses are conveniently situated at the nexus of student wellbeing and education. For public

health, school nurses are a valuable resource for promoting children's and teenagers' health, since

they understand the importance of the connection between mental and physical well-being and

academic achievement. Similarly, the school nurse utilizes instructional approaches that are
ROLE OF A SCHOOL NURSE IN PUBLIC HEALTH 3

relevant to the child's level of development, academic needs, preparation to learn. Screenings,

recommendations, and follow-ups are the secondary prevention methods that school nurses use

to identify and resolve early-stage health problems. School nurses offer tertiary prevention by

discussing health problems and issues that have been diagnosed.

Student absenteeism due to infectious diseases affects the reduction of millions of school

days per year. Centered on the principles of care and the general health viewpoint, school nurses

provide healthy and safe school settings through the prevention of infectious diseases, including

the endorsement of vaccines, the use of school-wide anti-infection control efforts, and disease

monitoring and reporting. Compliance with immunization is much higher in classrooms with

school nurses. School nurses are committed to enabling health equity, encouraging students and

their families to interact with health care, housing, financial resources, health, and food

promotion (Schaffer et al., 2016). This role includes responsibility for every student in the school

district, and school nurses are really the only healthcare providers who are knowledgeable of all

the resources and entities engaged in student care.

Moreover, school nurses are representatives of two distinct communities, nursing/medical

and educational, that are able to interact fluently and effectively collaborate with the practitioners

in both domains. As a care supervisor, the school nurse manages the provided health care of a

student at home and school. Nevertheless, a school nurse is a prominent representative of

interdisciplinary teams, delivering the health resources required to create a student's Section 504

or Personalized Education plan to eliminate health obstacles to learning [ CITATION Zim13 \l

1033 ]. Creating, reviewing, and incorporating personalized health care initiatives are important

to the role of school nurses.

ROLE OF A SCHOOL NURSE IN PUBLIC HEALTH 4

In essence, NASN believes that school nurses perform a vital role in ensuring children

safe, healthy, and prepared to learn. They are indeed a part of an elite professional nursing

specialty and are frequently the primary health care distributor in an academic environment. The

21st-century school nursing experience is centered on the student, taking place within the

framework of the pupil's family and the school environment. All children must have accessibility

to a school nurse day in and day out.

ROLE OF A SCHOOL NURSE IN PUBLIC HEALTH 5

References

NASN. (2020). The Role of the 21st Century School Nurse. Retrieved from

https://www.nasn.org/advocacy/professional-practice-documents/position-statements/ps-

role

Schaffer, M. A., Anderson, L. J., & Rising, S. (2016). Public health interventions for school

nursing practice. The Journal of School Nursing, 32(3), 195-208.

Zimmerman, B. (2013). Student health and education plans. School nursing: A comprehensive

text, 284-314.