School Nurse

Job Description

POSITION: School Nurse

NATURE OF WORK

The employee identifies and treats health disorders among students and provides instruction in the maintenance of good health and disease prevention. The employee must evaluate the physical conditions of students and refer students to appropriate resources as needed. The school nurse functions independently under state and agency guidelines and polices without on-site supervision.  Work is self-directed and clinically autonomous.  Supervision may be exercised over volunteers, unlicensed personnel, and/or licensed personnel.  To accomplish these responsibilities, the school nurse serves in the roles of program manager/coordinator, case manager/direct care provider, collaborator/advocate, educator and health counselor for the entire school/school district.  Decisions made by this employee require discretionary judgment and analysis. Errors may not be easily discernible and may result in a serious impact on the individual child and others. This employee’s work is seldom reviewed while in progress and is performed under general supervision.

The school nurse works in the Orange County School Health Program and reports to the School Health Nursing Supervisor.

The school nurse will know and comply with OCS policy and procedures. Work requires that the nurse use sound judgment in applying professional standards and guidelines.  Problem-solving and critical situation assistance is available by the nursing supervisor or, if unavailable, high-performing colleagues. In addition, the school nurse works as a team member in the assigned school(s) and complies with the directives given by the school principal.  Directives, however, must be in line with the essential functions and performance standards for school nurses as well as support professional nursing judgment or legal standards.

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF WORK

• Develops policies, procedures, and work standards for school health programs.
• Monitors compliance of school health programs with federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies.
• Initiates program changes as needed.
• Manages program allotment efficiently.
• Prepares health reports for supervisor, board of education, and health department.
• Collaborates with other child-support agencies in designing and providing a school health program.
• Negotiates professional and medical services essential to the school health program.
• Provides first aid care and medically prescribed services.
• Maintains security of school health supplies.
• Serves as a resource person on student health issues.
• Provides staff development on health-related topics for school staff and volunteers.
• Screens and conducts health appraisals for students.
• Provides follow-up evaluations on students as required.
• Recommends corrective action where problems are identified.
• Conducts home visits when appropriate.
• Corresponds with parents on health needs of children.
• Records immunizations, health findings, and other relevant health data.
• Other duties may include but not be limited to:
  • Back-up coverage for other schools
  • Kindergarten Registration
  • Employee Hepatitis B immunizations
  • Employee Flu shots
  • Orange County Schools’ nurse representative for community/state health initiatives, i.e., asthma coalition, professional organizations, etc.
  • Staff meetings
  • Community outreach activities
  • Precept nursing students in school health and mentor others beginning school nurse practice
  • Other duties as assigned

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• The complex role of the school nurse demands, but is not limited to, an understanding and knowledge of:

  • Community, including community as a system and aggregates as clients, community assessment, and community resources
  • Pediatric/adolescent Nursing
  • Human growth, development, and learning
  • Public Health/Community Health Nursing
  • Professional nursing practice including nursing process, effective communication/documentation, professional conduct/ethics, and reflection/professional growth
  • Health counseling, mental health and crisis intervention
  • Communicable disease management
  • Applicable laws, regulations and standards pertaining to school nurse practice (NC Nurse Practice Act, Standards of School Nursing Practice, the Eight Components of a Coordinated School Health Program, and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)
  • School Health law
  • Special Education legislation and services
  • Case finding, case management and health advocacy
  • Program management, including staff supervision
  • Family theory, assessment and intervention
  • Leadership, networking, collaboration, and client advocacy
  • Ethnic and cultural sensitivity and competence
  • Contemporary health and psychosocial issues that influence children, families and the community
  • Health care delivery systems and the concepts of the primary health care
  • Building student, staff and family capacity for adaptation, self-management, self-advocacy and learning
  • School as a non-traditional health care setting
  • Development, management and evaluation of school health programs
  • Environmental health within the school community
  
  

  Skills related to this important role include, but are not limited to, the ability to:

  • Plan, coordinate and supervise the work of others
  • Deal tactfully with others and exercise good judgment in appraising situations, making decisions, and providing nursing care
  • Make independent and timely nursing decisions and triage into priorities
  • Secure the cooperation and respect of students, faculty and staff
  • Elicit needed information and maintain effective working relationships
  • Utilize effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills
  • Collect data to direct evidence-based practice
  • Record accurately services rendered and interpret and explain records, reports, activities, health care plans, accommodations and medical interventions
  • Identify health-related barriers to learning (i.e., at-risk behaviors, financial, cultural, economical, etc.)

Performance and Work Load Standards

At a minimum, the school nurse is expected to:

• Attend the New School Nurse Orientation and follow-up session (new school nurses)
• Address the six core functions as identified in the School Nurse Funding Initiative (utilized by DHHR as the performance “expectations” for a school health program)
• Collect data for the NC DHHS School Health Nursing Survey and Program Summary (end of year report)
• Obtain necessary knowledge, skills and CEU’s to maintain credentials
• Work independently in an uncontrolled environment
• Follow the Orange County Schools (OCS) policies, procedures and protocols as set forth in the School Health Program Manual(s), OCS/OCHD Memorandum of Agreement, and OCS Employee Handbook, and the NC Nurse Practice Act as well as other applicable state and federal statutes.
• Maintain necessary mental and physical health to effectively make sound nursing assessments/judgments
• Functions with precision, exactness, and accuracy at all times
• Operate as an inter-disciplinary manager and team member

Job Qualifications

REQUIRED:

• Registered nurse, currently licensed in North Carolina
• Nationally certified school nurse or registered nurse working toward national school nurse certification, to be completed within 3 years of hire date
• Current valid driver’s license
• One year clinical experience  as RN under supervision

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:

• BSN/BS or more advanced nursing education
• A minimum of 3 years RN nursing experience dealing with young children and adolescents (ages 3-21)
• Public Health Nursing experience