School Nurses: `So much more than Band-Aids’

National School Nurse Day is May 9

Video by Jo Mathis/AAPS District News

National School Nurse Day—celebrated on the Wednesday of National Nurses Week—honors all school nurses who care for students in schools every day, promoting learning through healthy children.

“School nursing is so much more than just Band-aids and medicines,”  says Kristin Mahler, a school nurse at Skyline High School, who has worked in the district for 11 years. “I had no idea of the range of challenges and situations I would be dealing with when I began as a school nurse.  But it is never dull and is very rewarding.”

The 12 school nurses at AAPS fill a crucial need in the district.

 Goals of the Ann Arbor Public School Nurses:

  • Reduce health-related barriers to learning and health-related absenteeism thus improving student achievement
  • Promote the health, safety, and wellness of all students and staff at Ann Arbor Public Schools
  • Promote a positive, collaborative relationship with students, families, colleagues, and the community
  • Promote best practices in school health services through professional development and resources.

Services Provided by the Ann Arbor Public Schools Nurses:

  • Illness, injury assessments, and interventions
  • Identification, assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation of student health concerns
  • Health assessments/participation in Individualized Education Plan development
  • Pediatric nursing procedures
  • Screening for health factors impacting student education
  • Activities and education to promote health
  • Health care counseling or guidance to students, their family, and to staff
  • Chronic disease management and education
  • Individualized Nursing Care Plans and services for students with disabilities and/or health conditions that interfere with learning
  • Medication administration
  • Assessment and interventions for students with mental health needs
  • Crisis team participation
  • Health curriculum recommendations
  • Guidelines for school district health policies, goals and objectives
  • School/community/healthcare provider liaison
  • Immunization verification according to state guideline requirements.
  • Medication management

 

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