It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that healthcare transition (HCT) planning and implementation for all students with healthcare needs should be a well-coordinated process that occurs whenever a student moves into, through, or out of a school setting. The continuation of safe, quality, equitable care for all…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) to actively support and protect the right of all students, including those with healthcare needs or disabilities, to participate in school-sponsored trips, in accordance with federal regulations (U.S. Department of Education [USDOE]/Office for Civil Rights [OCR], 2020). The…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) to actively support and protect the right of all students, including those with healthcare needs or disabilities, to participate in school-sponsored trips, in accordance with federal regulations (USDOE/OCR, 2020). The registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that healthy and safe communities are essential for the optimal health, well-being, academic success, and lifelong achievement of all school age youth (NASN, 2022a). Bridging education and healthcare, the registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that schools and districts should establish DNAR policies, protocols, and practices that enable each student to receive best practice care, as designated by clear and specific directives for the individual, throughout the entire course of their condition while they are in…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that access to a registered professional nurse (hereinafter referred to as a school nurse) all day, every day can improve students' health, safety, and educational achievement. Student acuity and school community indicators should be assessed to determine appropriate staffing…

Background: In 2014, the Hawaii Department of Education (DOE), the only statewide school system in the United States, predominately enrolled children (keiki) from underserved communities and lacked school nurses or a school health program. Chronic absenteeism due to health concerns was identified as a barrier to academic success. Methods: The DOE…

School nurses need evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to provide quality care for students with special health-care needs. However, a gap analysis revealed a paucity of rigorous school nursing CPGs. To fill this gap, a Model for Developing Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines for School Nursing (School Nursing CPG Model) was…

School nurses, in conjunction with students' healthcare providers, are the professionals responsible for determining health services for students with identified health needs. They can also provide necessary training and support to ensure the safety of all students in school-sponsored programs. Extended school year programs and before and after…

The number of students with chronic and complex health conditions significantly affects a teacher's ability to teach and meet the needs of the whole child--especially combined with the impact of societal issues such as poverty, violence, and the growing population of families who speak a language other than English at home. Education in America is…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that the registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse) provides leadership in all phases of emergency preparedness and response. School nurses are a vital part of the school team responsible for developing emergency response procedures for the…

Nurses as accessible, helping adults within schools have daily opportunities to reach adolescents with unmet mental health needs. Understanding the relationship between frequent clinic visits or somatic complaints as a sign of underlying problems, which may be organic or psychoemotional in origin, requires the unique skill set of the school nurse.…

The school nurse is an important member of the school team since school health services keep students in school, in the classroom, and ready to learn. Although school nurses are often seen as the people who deliver first aid at school, their role is much deeper and has such breadth that only a registered, professional nurse has the skill set to…

In schools, the term "consultation" has multiple meanings. Often it is used to describe a quick, informal process of advice giving between teachers and/or school specialists. As a formal discipline, School-Based Consultation (SBC) is an indirect service delivery model that involves two or more parties working together to benefit students. Most…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that schools should employ professionally prepared Registered Nurses, to conduct and supervise school health programs which address the variety of health problems experienced by school children. NASN recommends a formula-based approach with minimum ratios of nurses-to-students…