School health nursing services role in education: the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Public Law 107-110, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, represents the most sweeping reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act since it was enacted in 1965. The goal of the No Child Left Behind Act is to improve the academic achievement of all American students so that they all meet their own state's standards for competence by 2014. The law focuses on closing the achievement gap that exists among the economically disadvantaged, those with limited English proficiency, racial/ethnic minorities, and students receiving special education services.

State certification for school nurses.

State-specific credentialing of school nurses is generally equivalent to state teacher certification and is regulated by state departments of education. This certification establishes statewide employment standards for school nurses, as opposed to competency-based professional certification. Although more than half of all states currently have some type of credentialing for school nurses, it takes many different forms.

School health nursing: framework for the future. Part II.

The relative prestige that school health nursing currently enjoys provides a positive climate in which to advance this nursing specialty. To fully capture this advantage, the profession and its practitioners need to address some practice issues while reinforcing its community-based influence on the health and educational success of America's school-age children. Part I of this series addressed the societal environment in which school nursing finds itself, the factors that support school health nursing programs, and the need to develop new and expanded partnerships.

School health nursing: framework for the future, Part I.

Society has an emerging respect for the impact that school health nursing programs have on both the health and the education of school-age children. School nurses need to capture current opportunities by building on the richness of the past in order to remain viable, to advance the value of the specialty, and to meet increasing demands for health-related services in schools. Thriving in an increasingly complex and outcome-driven health and educational environment will require a broadening of perspectives, a modifying of paradigms, and an adjustment of attitudes and practices.

Managing DNR requests in the school setting.

States and school districts are increasingly faced with the potential of Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders for students with serious medical conditions. School nurses should assume leadership in developing both policy and procedural protocols, in addition to implementing approved DNR orders in schools. This article presents the current status of DNR policies nationally, legal considerations, and the issues to determine when managing DNR orders at the school site.