Address
Form of workCoordinate district health services program to best meet the health and wellness needs of the student population on an assigned campus. Promote health and safety education and preventive health practices for students. Roles include program coordinator, case manager or direct care provider, collaborator, student advocate, educator, and counselor.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Education/Certification/Membership:
- Baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited professional nursing education program
- Valid registered nurse license (RN) from the Texas Board of Nursing
- Current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automatic external defibrillator (AED) certification
- CPR instructor certification (required by the end of the second year with CISD).
- Membership: National Association of School Nurse (NASN) and the Texas Organization of School Nurse (TSNO), recommended
- National Certification of School Nursing (NCSN), recommended
Special Knowledge/Skills:
- Pediatric/adolescent nursing and health appraisal
- Public health/community health nursing
- Health counseling, mental health, and crisis intervention
- Communicable disease
- Applicable laws, regulations, and standards pertaining to school nursing practice (Texas Nurse Practice Act, BON rules and regulation, Standards of School Nursing Practice.
- Applicable laws and regulations regulating school health and special education services
- Framework for 21st Century School Nurse Practice
- Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child approach to health and learning
- Ethnic and cultural sensitivity and competence
- School as a nontraditional health care and independent practice setting
- Computer literacy and competency in the use of existing technology
EXPERIENCE:
- Professional registered nurse experience: minimum three years preferred.
- Prior professional nursing experience: pediatric, critical care, or school health preferred
Clinical Practice
• Works in a self-directed and clinically autonomous manner.
• Provides direct nursing services to students, including nursing assessment, identifying health problems, making referrals for diagnosis and treatment, recommending education modifications, providing follow-up and evaluation, and maintaining appropriate documentation.
• Provides emergency health services to students and staff requiring immediate intervention.
• Collects, analyzes, and interprets student health data guided by clinical judgment and current research to identify student health needs.
• Makes decisions regarding the delegation of nursing care to unlicensed assistive personnel as directed by state law and local policy or guidelines.
• Implements a medication protocol to safely store, administer, document, and monitor the effectiveness of medications given at school, according to local guidelines.
• Provides health information and counseling for students, parents, and staff.
• Participates as a crisis team member and provides crisis intervention for students and staff in the event of sudden illness or injury.
• Makes appropriate assessments and referrals for suspected abuse/neglect as a mandated reporter.
Communication/Coordination
• Maintains communication with the Coordinator of Health Services, campus administrators, teachers, other school personnel, and parents/guardians to enhance cooperative action which will meet the health and safety needs of students.
• Coordinates the care for students with health needs. Develops a written plan of care using the nursing process and effectively communicates the plan of care to others using an Individualized Healthcare Plan (IHP).
• Aligns campus health services program with the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Framework.
• Coordinates care with student, family, faculty, and community resources.
• Collaborates with school personnel in crisis/disaster planning and in accident/injury prevention.
• Establishes a communicable disease prevention and control program in cooperation with local and state public health agencies.
• Participates in the development of health-related policies and procedures in compliance with state mandates and current health practices.
Special Education/Section 504
• Participates as the health specialist of the multidisciplinary team in the identification, evaluation, and placement of students so health-related barriers to learning can be reduced and writes the health component of the plan.
• Recommends modifications of the school program for students who require accommodations due to a health condition.
Instruction
• Provides health-related classroom instruction, e.g., growth and development, dental health, CPR, bleeding control measures, infection control, respiratory hygiene, etc.
• Provides staff training on health topics including CPR/AED, blood-borne pathogens and the district exposure plan, medication administration, control of life-threatening bleeding, seizure response, anaphylaxis and severe allergies, and diabetes management according to local guidelines, state mandate, and board of Board of Nursing delegation rules/regulations.
Program Management
• Maintains a user-friendly and organized health services facility conducive to confidential communication and services.
• Complies with policies established by federal and state laws, Texas Department of State Health Services rule, State Board of Education rule, the Nurse Practice Act, Board of Nursing rules, and local board policy.
• Manages school health records in accordance with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act requirements.
• In accordance with state and local policy, assures efficient retrieval of school health records and other related archival responsibilities.
• Establishes and manages health screening programs according to state mandates and guidelines.
• Purchases and maintains health and district exposure plan supplies and equipment as indicated for the health office and school.
• Enforces procedures to ensure proper program administration according to district policy and guidelines.
Professionalism
• Demonstrates professionalism in behaviors, time management, dependability, resource utilization, and ethical practice.
• Participates in professional development/continuing education as a lifelong learner and attends required campus and Health Services department meetings.
• Contributes to the district's overall health services program to further enhance the effectiveness of the program.
• Contributes beyond the district to further enhance the profession of school nursing.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
Directs the work of clinic/health aides, clerical assistants, and health services volunteers
WORKING_CONDITIONS:
Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors:
- Tools/Equipment Used: Standard medical clinic equipment including automated external defibrillator (AED); special needs adaptive equipment; standard office equipment including computer and peripherals
- Posture: Frequent standing, sitting, kneeling/squatting, bending/stooping, pushing, pulling, and twisting
- Motion: Frequent walking, grasping/squeezing, wrist flexion/extension
- Lifting: Frequent light lifting and carrying (less than 15 pounds); may require regular heavy lifting (45 pounds or more) and position of students with physical disabilities, controlling behavior through physical restraint, assisting non-ambulatory students
- Environment: Exposure to biological hazards, bacteria, and communicable disease
- Mental Demands: Work with frequent interruptions; maintain emotional control under stress
