NASN Special Interest Groups: Their Growth and Development Through the Years.

Over the past 25 years, the roles of school nurses have been both expanding and specializing in public and non-public school settings. To help meet the ever-changing and demanding challenges that specialized school nurses encounter in their unique settings, NASN embraced the idea that school nurses need a way to connect with colleagues working in similar practices. Thus, special interest groups (SIGs) were established, and the SIGs have become an integral part of NASN.

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.

School Nurse Workload--Staffing for Safe Care: Position Statement.

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that daily access to a registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as a school nurse) can significantly improve students' health, safety, and abilities to learn. To meet the health and safety needs of students, families, and school communities, school nurse workloads should be determined at least annually, using student- and community-specific health data.

School Nurse Workload: Students Are More Than Just Numbers.

NASN has found a lack of research-based evidence to support the caseload ratio model of school nurse staffing. In keeping with the practices of school administrators, other school support personnel, and community health care providers, NASN is transitioning to the workload model to guide safe school nurse staffing. The workload model considers more than ratio and acuity; instead, it provides a full description of school nurse activities and other influences on student health.

Students requiring personal nursing care in school: nursing care models and a checklist for school nurses.

Unprecedented numbers of children in the United States are now surviving extreme conditions and complications of prematurity, severe congenital anomalies, and significant birth trauma. Advances in medical science and technology have given rise to a marked increase in the population of children with special health care needs who require continuous nursing care, including at school. Students who are considered medically complex and/or are health technology-dependent present many rewards and challenges for families, educational staff, district administrators, and school nurses who may not feel prepared to integrate involved health care for students into the school setting.