(2022, August) | Useful to Parent Centers, education staff, state and local education administrators, school nurses, and families of children with health care needs.
Child Trends, in partnership with EMT Associates, analyzed the landscape of state statutes and regulations as of October 2021 to better understand how state laws and policies define the role of school nurses. This 2022 brief presents their findings, including state policies on:
- whether districts must employ school nurses
- required or preferred qualifications for school nurses
- school nurses’ role in managing chronic conditions
- school nurses’ role in administering medication
- their role in developing and managing student health plans
- their role in student health screenings
- their role in student immunizations and infectious disease control
- their role in COVID-19.
The brief also describes the methodology that Child Trends and EMT Associates used to conduct their analysis. The brief ends with a section of discussion and conclusions.
To read the brief and learn more, go to:
https://www.childtrends.org/publications/state-laws-on-school-nursing-outline-copious-responsibilities-for-nurses
About Responsibilities of School Nurses
Before the pandemic, school nurses were typically responsible for a wide range of tasks, including managing chronic disease, creating and coordinating individual student health plans, administering and storing medications, training school staff in emergency procedures and medication administration, and keeping and reporting records and health information.
During the pandemic and since, school nurses have also become responsible for administering COVID-19 tests; helping with vaccination clinics; facilitating immunizations and health screenings that had been disrupted during remote learning; conducting contact tracing; enforcing general COVID protocols; and providing COVID-19 education to students, staff, and families—all in addition to their regular duties.