school Nurse (School Nursing)

A student’s health status is directly related to his or her ability to learn.

Students’ unmet health needs, physically or psychologically, will affect their
ability to make the most out of their educational experience and may have
difficulty in achieving and engaging in the educational process. A school
nurse supports students’ success in the learning process by providing health
care through assessment, intervention, and follow-up for all the children within
the school setting.

After the home, the school environment has the most considerable influence on
any child’s development. In this environment, the school nurse’s role is to
bridge the gap between the child’s health and his or her education.

If you enjoy working with children or teens, prepared to work alone and take
the initiative, then working as a school nurse may be the perfect career choice
for you.

What is School Nursing and a School Nurse?

“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 should be a top
priority for both healthcare and educational systems,” states the US National
Association of School Nurses (NASN) in its position statement on the ‘Role of
the 21st Century School Nurse’. “With approximately 50.1 million students in
public elementary and secondary schools, educational institutions are excellent
locations to promote health in children and the school nurse is uniquely
positioned to meet student health needs.”

The practice of school nursing began in the United States on October 1, 1902.
Lina Rogers, the first school nurse, was hired to reduce absenteeism by
providing nursing care to students and families regarding their healthcare needs
related to communicable diseases. She led the implementation of evidence-
based nursing care across New York City schools. Since that time, the role of
school nurses expanded and became increasingly diverse.