School Health
School nursing is a specialized practice of nursing that advances the well-being, academic success, and lifelong achievement and health of students. Keeping children healthy, safe, in school, and ready to learn is a top priority of school nurses.
The school nurse serves in a pivotal role that bridges health care and education. Grounded by standards of practice, services provided by the school nurse include leadership, community/public health, care coordination, and quality improvement.
The School Nurse
- Develops policies, programs, and procedures for the provision of school health services
- Advocates for individual students.
- Promotes student independence and self-management.
- Advocates for safety and develops medical emergency response plans.
- Provides health education, health screenings, nursing assessment, and care, including medication administration in school.
- Manages infectious disease, including promotion of vaccines, school-wide infection control measures, disease surveillance, and reporting and collaboration with the local Board of Health and the State Department of Public Health to promote a healthy school environment.
- Promotes health equity, assisting students and families in connecting with healthcare services, financial resources, shelter, food, and health promotion.
- Coordinates care between medical providers, family, and school.
- Participates in interdisciplinary teams, bringing health expertise necessary to develop student plans (504, Individual Health Care Plans, IEP as needed).
- Engages in continuous quality improvement using data collection and research.
Reference: National Association of School Nurses (2016), the Role of the 21st Century School Nurse (Position Statement). Silver Spring, MD: Author.
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Contact Information
Carol Krall, BSN, RN, NCSN
Director of Health Services
Phone: 781-826-2631, ext. 5302
Email: ckrall@hanoverschools.org