Title: School Nurse-Substitute Department: School Health Services Scope of Job/Practice: The professional School Registered Nurse is prepared to practice within complex and unpredictable school settings through interdisciplinary collaboration with other health and educational professionals and assumes a direct and responsible role in strengthening and facilitating the educational process. This is accomplished by improving and protecting the health status of students by identifying and assisting in the removal of or modification of health-related barriers to learning and teaching. The status of a student’s health has been proven to impact academic success. To this end, the school nurse works toward minimizing absences due to illness, maximizing educational opportunities, and creating a healthy school climate.
Job Qualifications:
Education, Licenses, Certification or Formal Training - Bachelor’s degree in Nursing is preferred.
- Current Colorado Registered Nurse license required.
- Successful Registered Nurse experience preferred.
- First Aid and CPR certification preferred, working knowledge required.
Related Knowledge and Skills:
Demonstrates - Ability to be flexible, prioritize duties, organize, work independently, and manage time
- efficiently.
- Ability to communicate in English, orally and in writing, tactfully and effectively.
- Ability to maintain cooperative working relationships with parents, students, staff, and
- community agencies.
- Knowledge of normal pediatric and adolescent growth and development, communicable /acute / chronic diseases, injury first aid.
- Knowledge of immunization requirements and recommendations. Resources available.
- Strong assessment, planning, intervention and problem-solving skills, especially in emergency
- or crisis situations.
- Stress management skills.
- Ethical work practices and confidentiality
- Ability to understand, apply and use computers and software applications (e.g., Word, Excel,
- Powerpoint, the Internet, Outlook, etc.).
- Ability to use electronic health documentation software, Infinite Campus and Outlook email software. Training provided.
- Ability to work with and show acceptance of diverse groups of individuals and students with special needs.
- Knowledge of Colorado Nurse Practice Act.
- Willingness to learn Standards of Professional School Nursing Practice, and CO Department of Education / CO Department of Public Health policies and procedures. Resources available.
Specific School Nurse Substitute Support of Essential School Nurse Services:
Full document provided on request
- Ensure mandated school health services in the educational environment
- Locate and implement Individual Health Care Plans, 504 Plans, IEP Plans and other health related plans for students with health care needs.
- Provide for the administration of medication and nursing procedures.
Assure the provision of first aid and provide triage for physical, oral and mental health issues.
- Assist with health screening programs and follow-up care needs.
- Assure student health information is protected in accordance with Family Educational
Right to Privacy Act (FERPA) (34 CFR Part 99) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) (H.R. 3103 (104th)).
- Assess the health of the school community
- Recognize and report trends related to student health issues such as absenteeism, communicable disease, mental, physical and oral health.
- Locate and use student accident/incident reports.
- Provide screening and intervention for identified student health concerns.
- Assess student health risk behaviors and protective factors.
- Communicate health and wellness issues to appropriate Administration and School Nurse.
- Advocate for the physical and emotional safety of the school community
- *Provide education and serve as a resource regarding child protection issues (CRS 19-3-301)
- *Promote a safe and drug free school environment.
- Provide interventions to promote healthy behaviors and prevent child and adolescent morbidity/mortality.
- Protect against environmental hazards
Assess and provide recommendations regarding environmental hazards and safety issues.
- Contain the spread of disease
- *Promote and monitor immunizations (6 CCR 1009-2).
- *Institute appropriate disease control measures (6 CCR 1009-1).
- Educate about infectious and nuisance diseases.
- Respond to disasters and assist communities in recovery
- Locate and implement Emergency Response plans to assist all students with special needs in emergencies.
- Locate and respond to emergency plans for natural, man-made and hazardous materials disasters in school and community-See Standard Response Protocol
- Ensure the quality and accessibility of school health services
- *Evaluate the provision of school health services using outcomes-based measurements.
- Communicate and coordinate with other school programs, example: Exceptional Student Services, etc.
- Collect evidenced-based data to improve and support school health services via Infinite Campus documentation.
- Serve as a liaison between student, school, parent, and community health care providers and organizations.
- Provide health related case management services and assist families in accessing resources.
Additional Duties: - Performs other related tasks as assigned by supervisors or other administrators.
Note: The above description is illustrative of tasks and responsibilities. It is not meant to be all inclusive of every task or responsibility.
Equipment: - Uses appropriate medical equipment to provide health care to students/staff within the scope of school nursing practice. Equipment and Materials Used, But Not Limited to:
- Stethoscope
- Nebulizer
- Thermometers
- Telephone and Cell Phone
- Blood Pressure Cuff
- Pulse Oximeter
- Audiometer
- Fax Machine
- Vision Screening equipment
- Copy Machine
- Glucometer
- Computer
- Otoscope