JOB TITLE: School-based Nurse
REPORTS TO: Director of Operations
RECEIVES GUIDANCE FROM: Lead Nurse, Principal, Director of Operations
OVERTIME STATUS: Compliant with position, salary, and FLSA regulations JOB PURPOSE:
To provide assessment, screening, planning, intervention, evaluation, counseling, management and/or referrals concerning the health and medical care needs of students for the purpose of minimizing absences due to illness, maximizing educational opportunities, and creating a healthy school climate. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Works collaboratively with health care providers, students parents, school district staff and community agencies to ensure access and continuity of care for students.
- Assists in the establishment and maintenance of a comprehensive school health program.
- Collects information about the health development status of students for compliance with state immunization regulations and Board of Education policies.
- Conducts school programs of immunization, physical examinations, and sight and hearing testing.
- Performs nursing assessment for students who are ill or injured; applies appropriate theory as basis for providing first aid, nursing care, intervention and referrals for those students.
- Evaluates nursing care provided and changes plan of care as necessary.
- Implements Board policy with respect to the exclusion and readmission of students in connection with certain infectious and contagious diseases (e.g., Tuberculosis).
- Maintains accurate records and documentation in accordance with state and federal law, and Board of Education policies.
- Develops individual health care plan (ICHP) when needed with specific goals, nursing diagnosis, and interventions delineating school-nursing actions unique to students’ needs and for incorporation into the student’s individualized educational plan (IEP).
- Intervenes as guided by the nursing care plan to implement nursing actions that promote, maintain or restore health, prevent illness and effect rehabilitation.
- Serves as a member of school teams as designated health care professional (e.g., Crisis Teams, PPT, Section 504).
- Provides guidance, counseling and health education to students, parents and employees as necessary.
- Reports to parents, school district personnel, physicians, clinics, and others as needed to meet student health needs.
- Provides instruction and training regarding the Heimlich Maneuver, Blood Borne Pathogen training, the school district’s Emergency plan, and with regard to providing care for students, including students with disabilities.
- Contributes to nursing and school health through innovations in theory; practice and participation in research, including narrative and statistical reports.
- Provides health education to students as requested.
- Notifies the appropriate person or agency of student’s injury/illness in accordance with Board policy as necessary.
- Confers with parents, students and school district staff and professionals to interpret health and developmental assessments.
- Performs other related tasks as assigned by supervisors or other administrators.
- Assume responsibility for own professional growth and development, for keeping current with literature, new research findings, for attending appropriate professional meetings and conferences, and to maintain any credits and/or continued education for maintenance of licensure/qualifications required for the position
- Maintain and accept responsibility for any district owned fixed asset item assigned to employee and ensure appropriate use by following district policies for acceptable use
- Undergo periodic evaluations according to state and board policy procedures
- Maintain confidentiality
- Regular, dependable, in person attendance is an essential function of this position
- Perform such other and not specifically enumerated duties as may be requested by the Board of Education, superintendent, administrator, director or established by district policy
- Read, understand, and abide by Employee Conduct Policy, GAB, all other district, state and federal policies, and procedures and protocols as established by LCSD and the Mississippi Educator Code of Conduct
Note: The above description is illustrative of tasks and responsibilities. It is not meant to be all inclusive of every task or responsibility. QUALIFICATIONS:
Registered professional nurse, designated as RN as defined and determined by state law, and currently licensed in the state
Current certification in Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
Must meet qualifications of a school nurse as defined in state regulations
5 years of successful experiences working with pediatric population, preferably in a community or school setting desirable
EQUIPMENT:
Uses medical equipment to provide health care to students/staff, including, but not limited to, blood glucose monitor, stethoscopes, thermometers, sphygmomanometers.
Uses personal computers
KNOWLEDGE, ABILITY, SKILLS: - Knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, symptoms, diagnoses, treatments, first aid, illnesses and injuries, nutrition, and related areas.
- Ability to diagnose and provide care for ill or injured students.
- Ability to convey appropriate medical information to school district staff or medical professionals to ensure a proper maintenance in the school setting.
- Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide, and perform arithmetic operations as needed for position.
- Ability to understand, apply and use personal computers and software applications (e.g., Word, Excel, Powerpoint, the Internet, Outlook, electronic mail).
- Ability to problem solve job-related issues.
- Ability to work with a diverse group of individuals and students with special needs.
- Ability to follow oral and written orders from supervisors, administrators, physicians, and to coordinate work with principal, teachers and others.
- Ability to describe orally and in writing school health services provided, issues and concerns regarding school health.
- Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with students, staff and others contacted in the course of work.
SAFETY REQUIREMENTS: - Adheres to all applicable professional safety standards and practices in the nursing field, including requirements set forth in federal and state law, and Occupational Safety and Health regulations.
- Implements Board Policy regarding Blood Borne Pathogens and other Board policies regarding the medical or health care of employees and students.
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:
Frequent travel between schools may be required. PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, use hands for fine manipulation, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms using equipment such as a keyboard and video display terminal. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, reach, crouch or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and move up to 35 pounds and occasionally up to 75 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The work environment is not a standard office setting; but rather encompasses the entire active school campus both inside and outside the facilities. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate and occasionally high.
Note: This is not necessarily an all-inclusive or exhaustive list of responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, functions or working conditions associated with the job.
The job description is not a contract of employment or a promise or guarantee of any specific terms or conditions of employment.
The school district may add to, modify or delete any aspect of this job (or the position itself) at any time as it deems advisable.
TERMS OF EMPLOYEMENT:
Salary, days and work year as established by the Lamar County Board of Education
EVALUATION:
Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with the provisions of the Lamar County School Board policy on Evaluation of Employees.