What exactly is a School Nurse?
School nurses are public health nurses who work with school-aged children and adolescents, as well as their families, to improve health and well-being while eliminating disparities and vulnerabilities.
School nurses are NMC-registered nurses or midwives who have completed further education and training to become community public health nurses (SCPHN – SN). School nurses are the driving force behind the Healthy Child Programme
Nurse’s Work Life
You will work all year to help children and young people in schools as well as other settings such as their homes or local health centres, and you will frequently use digital technology to meet their needs. To ensure that services are delivered efficiently, you will supervise a team that includes community staff nurses and nursery nurses.
School nurses employ clinical judgement and public health experience to detect health needs early, determine risk and protective factors, and provide early intervention to prevent problems from worsening. To fulfill the needs of children and young people, you’ll collaborate with schools, children’s social care providers, GPs, health visitors, allied health professionals, and volunteer services. School Nurse Health System is introduced to balance the school nurse roles in students’ mental health.
The school nurse’s day-to-day responsibilities vary by location, but they often include:
- collaborating with other professionals to keep children safe, support local safeguarding plans, and ensure that the child’s voice has been heard
- providing a comprehensive assessment of the mental health and wellbeing requirements of children and adolescents, as well as mental health promotion, prevention, and early intervention techniques conducting medical examinations to detect risky behaviours and assist youngsters in staying safe
- RSHE (relationships, sex, and health education) creation and delivery in education, schools, and other places
- personalized assistance for children, young people, and families to manage lifestyle problems and improve behaviors, such as healthy weight
- personalised assistance for children, young people, and families to manage lifestyle problems and improve behaviours, such as healthy weight Being a young professional, being a foster kid, enduring domestic or emotional abuse, or parental substance abuse are all examples of this.
- assisting children and adolescents with complicated and long-term health issues
- assisting children and adolescents in developing self-care, autonomy, and decision-making skills, including how to get health services
Skills a School Nurse must have
You will need the following qualifications to work as a school nurse:
- a passion for children and public health,
- You’ll have to deal with potentially difficult issues like kid protection.
- You must be able to operate both independently and as part of a team, and you must be adaptable, perceptive, and capable of setting priorities.
Role of School Nurse in Student’s Health
School nurses provide health education to students individually and in groups, with sessions covering a wide range of issues related to health, development, and growth. HIV/AIDS, nutrition, genetics, cleanliness, growth and development, communicable illnesses, safety, and family planning are among the topics covered. In addition, a teen pregnancy programme provides health education for adolescent moms. Nurses also offer onsite medical treatment for pupils at schools, which includes simple bandages, minor sports injuries, and the examination and treatment of medical problems and injuries. Referrals to the appropriate parties are made if more care is required (parents, family medical doctor or ambulance services).
- Referrals and screening
A school nurse may undertake a number of direct care responsibilities, such as scoliosis, vision, and hearing screenings. When a problem is discovered, the nurse will either send the kid to a specialist or collaborate with the primary care physician to ensure that the child’s requirements are satisfied. The school nurse works with parents or other family members and acts as a link between school employees, families, healthcare professionals, and the general public.
- Functions of Emergency and Public Health
The school nurse, as a baccalaureate-prepared nursing practitioner, frequently works autonomously. She may function as the first responder in health crises for both kids and school personnel, in addition to normal treatment such as medication management and screenings. School nurses also conduct public health duties such as disease surveillance to improve the likelihood of detecting and intervening early in a communicable disease epidemic. A school nurse also enhances general student health by ensuring vaccine compliance.
- Expectations for Results
The National Association of School Nurses has a set of performance standards for school nurses. Facilitating normal growth, giving leadership in the promotion of health and safety, working as a case manager, and intervening in both existing and potential health concerns are among these tasks. The school nurse is an important member of school educational teams that must include health concerns in their decision-making processes, such as special education committees or individual educational plan teams.
Final Words
School Nurse Roles and Responsibilities is not a static requirement. This changes depending on the scenario, and Eduhealth’s main goal is to equip nurses ready for any upcoming student emergency.
