NASN School Nurse Research Articles

Updated Framework for School Nurse Self-Reflection and Evaluation.

This article shares an updated structure for school nurse evaluation using the School Nursing Practice Framework and the fourth edition of the School Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. This evaluation structure is modeled on work originally published in the January 2020 issue of NASN School Nurse. The original linking of the Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice and the 3rd edition of the School Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice allowed the school nurse and their evaluators to understand the complex roles and responsibilities of the school nurse. This updated version incorporates the growing understanding of social issues and complex health concerns impacting school nursing practice. The School Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (4th ed.) competencies recognize issues including emerging technologies, structural barriers to health, and the complex health needs of students in an environment of inequities, violence, and underfunding, as well as the impact of natural disasters, public health crises, human migration, and social media on students. The updated School Nursing Practice Framework (Framework) likewise incorporates an understanding of the foundational aspect of the standards and the interconnectedness of the key principles. Our revised evaluation tool accomplishes the integration of the revised Framework with the updated standards of school nursing practice.

An Interview With the New Editor of the NASN School Nurse.

An Interview With the New Editor of the NASN School Nurse.

Future of Nursing 2020-2030 Philadelphia Town Hall: Lessons Shared From a Relentless School Nurse.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in partnership with the National Academy of Medicine held Town Meeting discussions the summer of 2019 at three sites across the country on the Future of Nursing 2030. Included in the testimony were both invited presentation and public testimony. This article is the transcript of the invited testimony of Robin Cogan, a school nurse who has established a voice for advocacy and the creator of the blog titled The Relentless School Nurse and is one of four presentations featured in this issue of the NASN School Nurse. In her January 2020 letter, NASN's President Laurie Combe discussed the Future of Nursing 2030 and the importance of school nurse advocacy.

Sharing Your Story With Data

This interview provides an example of how a school nurse presented her data to the school board. It is a practical example of how to apply the principles found in the article on data presentation, which is the final article in the "data and school nursing" articles series being published in NASN School Nurse.

Data Sharing: Partnering With Others to Advance Student Health.

This interview provides a practical example of how a school district appropriately shares data with outside partners. It is a practical example of how to apply the principles found in the article on data sharing, which is part of the "data and school nursing" articles series being published in NASN School Nurse during the 2018-2019 school year.

Data Sharing.

The data life cycle starts with defining what data are needed, to collecting, storing, protecting, using, sharing, retiring, and destroying data. A May 2019 NASN School Nurse article, "Data Governance and Stewardship," addressed who is accountable for the data life cycle within a school system. This article will discuss data sharing, the ethics, and the steps that must be taken to share data responsibly. As discussed in the previous article, policies and procedures about data sharing are available in every school district. Frequently, the guidelines pertain only to sharing personally identifiable student information and do not address the sharing of aggregated information for the purposes of needs assessments, priority setting, outcomes measurement, or for advocating for resources or policy changes at the district, state, or national level. Fortunately, guidance of sharing data and crafting data sharing agreements is provided by the Privacy Technical Assistance Center at the U.S. Department of Education. This is the sixth article in the series on data.

Millennial School Nurses: A Roundtable Discussion.

School nurses are proportionally older in age as compared to the overall U.S. nursing workforce. In anticipation of a school nurse workforce shortage in the next few years, we must focus our attention on developing and implementing orientation and transition programs for new school nurses, many of whom represent the millennial generation. Formative experiences are thought to create specific characteristics and difference between generations; yet, stereotypes are sometimes present in defining generations. The NASN School Nurse Editorial Advisory Board interviewed four millennial school nurses to highlight the need to embrace this new generation as they enter the specialty practice of school nursing.

Physical Exams: Legal Liability (Versus Professional Norms).

This article summarizes the facts and rulings of a relatively recent and representative federal appellate court decision concerning a parent's civil rights lawsuit in response to a school nurse's visual examination of a child's "private parts." The discussion of the court's rulings extends to a sampling of related case law and, as in a previous NASN School Nurse Zirkel article, the difference between legal and professional boundaries.

Strengthening the School Nurse Voice With Data Governance

This interview provides a practical example of how a school district manages their data. It is a practical example of how to apply the principles found in the article on data governance, which is part of the "data and school nursing" articles series being published in NASN School Nurse during the 2018-2019 school year.

Power of the Past, Celebrate the Present, Force of the Future-Part 5: A Look Into Our Next 50 Years . . .

The July 2018 issue of the NASN School Nurse, featured the first in a series of articles exploring the history, examining the present, and visioning the future of our organization in celebration of NASN's 50th anniversary. While Parts 1 through 4 of this series focuses on the past and present, Part 5 is the first of two articles presenting the force of the future. In developing the content for Part 5, the authors posed a question to past and current NASN Officers, State Directors, and other school nursing colleagues. Areas of identified importance are grouped into the following major headings: research, education, collaboration, advocacy, image, technology, and leadership.

Comparing Apples With Apples: The Importance of Clean Data.

This interview provides a practical example of how a school district is working to get and use clean, accurate data. It is a practical example of how to apply the principles found in the article on data fidelity, which is part of the "data and school nursing" articles series being published in NASN School Nurse during the 2018-2019 school year.

Data Fidelity: Building Credible Reports.

Clean, accurate data, also known as data fidelity, support school nurses' professional credibility in the school setting by allowing them to report their work and outcomes to important stakeholders. School nurses collect data every day through documentation, creating an essential record of the health needs of students and how school nurses meet those needs. To report these data effectively, school nurses should use standard definitions, technology, or standardized forms and review their data regularly to maintain accurate data. All school nurses, no matter how they document, should be thinking of data fidelity. This is the fourth article in the 2018-2019 NASN School Nurse article series on data.

Corrigendum

Kiefner, J., Cogan, R., & Conway, S. M. (2018). Power of the past, celebrate the present, force of the future part 2. Our story–NASN’s second 25 years. NASN School Nurse. 33(5), 298-308. (Original DOI: 10.1177/1942602X18792287) NASN Past-president Carol Constante’s theme was incorrectly presented as “Supporting School Success: School Nurses Make a Difference” instead of “Supporting Student Success: School Nurses Make a Difference” both in the table presented on page 300 and in the text on page 302. Indeed, “Supporting Student Success” was a tag line used by NASN for many years after Carol’s presidency.

Power of the Past, Celebrate the Present, Force of the Future, Part 3: Interview With NASN Leaders.

For Part 3 of the NASN School Nurse series exploring NASN's past, present, and future, Lindsey Minchella interviews NASN President, Nina Fekaris and President-elect, Laurie Combe to discuss their school nursing perspective and philosophies. These three school nursing leaders discuss what is responsible for their long tenure as school nurses, changes witnessed in student health over the years, how NASN makes a difference for students and school nurses, the future of school nursing, and the power of NASN members' voices to improve student health and academic outcomes.

Power of the Past, Celebrate the Present, Force of the Future Part 2: Our Story-NASN's Second 25 Years.

The July 2018 issue of the NASN School Nurse, featured the first in a series of articles exploring the history, examining the present, and visioning the future of our organization in celebration of NASN's 50th anniversary. Part 2 of our historical account reflects on the leadership of a new generation of clinicians, reviewing the major emphases and accomplishments of NASN presidents serving from 1993 to today.

An Eye on Vision: Five Questions About Vision Screening and Eye Health.

Current evidence-based and best-practice vision screening and eye health approaches, tools, and procedures are the result of revised national guidelines in the past 3 years and advances in research during the past 18 years. In providing answers to the five questions in this article, the National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness used published, peer-reviewed research; vision screening and eye health national guidelines; and consensus-based best practices from eye care professionals and public health experts. The answers may differ from your state or district vision screening guidelines and mandates. This is the second installment of the "An Eye on Vision" frequently asked questions section that will appear in future editions of NASN School Nurse. To review the first installment, see the March 2018 edition of NASN School Nurse. The authors encourage vision screeners to submit their vision screening and eye health questions to the email address that appears at the end of this article.

Coordinating Care for Students With Chronic Conditions: CLUE #1.

Care coordination is an important part of school nurses' responsibilities, but coordinating that care for students in schools with chronic conditions is more complex than what we learned in nursing school. This article is the second in a series of articles for NASN School Nurse that will delve into how to apply evidence-based practice (EBP) to school nursing. The article focuses on the first step of EBP: asking the question. As the series progresses, we encourage you to apply the steps to a situation in your setting or even use the series to increase discussions at nursing staff meetings so all can benefit.

What Does Evidence-Based School Nursing Practice Even Mean? Get a CLUE.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a phrase used frequently in nursing, policy, and education. This article explains three components of EBP, why it is important for school nursing, barriers to practicing EBP, and solutions to practicing EBP. This article is the first in a series of articles for NASN School Nurse that will delve into what EBP is and how it applies to school nursing using practical examples.

The 2015 NASN School Nurse Survey: Developing and Providing Leadership to Advance School Nursing Practice.

This article summarizes the results of the 2015 NASN School Nurse Survey, identifies similarities and differences between this survey and the 2013 NASN School Nurse Survey, and evaluates the possible impacts of this data on the organization.

Understanding type 2 diabetes in students with obesity and the role of the school nurse.

Co-morbidities of obesity in children mirror those seen in adults. Virtually any body system can be affected. The January 2015 issue of the NASN School Nurse featured an introductory article on childhood obesity. This article is the first of six related articles focusing on co-morbidities of childhood obesity and focuses on type 2 diabetes (T2D). School nurses can play an integral role in the identification, prevention, and treatment of childhood obesity. With one in three of our nation's school-age children diagnosed as overweight or obese, it is imperative that school nurses join families, public health agencies, and medical communities in mounting a coordinated attack against this threat.