Nursing and Health Services

School nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that advances the well-being, academic success, lifelong achievement, and health of students. To that end, school nurses facilitate normal development and positive student response to interventions; promote health and safety, including a healthy environment; intervene with actual and potential health problems; provide case management services; and actively collaborate with others to build student and family capacity for adaptation, self-management, self-advocacy, and learning (National Association of School Nurses [NASN], 2010).

MPS school nursing and health services goals include the following:

• Provide individual, quality nursing care
• Encourage parent/child communication involvement
• Emphasize health education and wellness of students, school personnel, and the community
• Use all available community resource services so that all students will be able to achieve their maximum learning potential and well-being

School nurses provide but are not limited to the following tasks during the school year:

• First aid/sudden illness care/emergency care
• Medication management
• Immunization compliance and follow-up
• Vision screening and follow-up
• Dental resources
• CPR/AED skills
• Health communication among staff and parents
• Health education