NASN school nurse
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In response to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, most states in the United States enacted statewide school closures, ranging in duration from 1 month to the remainder of the academic year. The extended durations of these closures present unique challenges, as many families rely on the school as a source of physical activity, mental health services, psychosocial support, child care, and food security. ⋯ This article discusses challenges and proposes solutions to maintaining student health and wellness during extended school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, it is inevitable that until a vaccine for coronavirus is developed and readily available, many schools will continue to see future closures, though likely for shorter periods of time, as they respond to local outbreaks.
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Case Reports
School Nurses on the Front Lines of Medicine: An Adolescent Female Student with Severe Abdominal Pain.
Abdominal pain is a common chief complaint encountered by school nurses. This article explains the etiology of abdominal pain in children and adolescents, describes the office assessment, and delineates life-threatening conditions associated with severe abdominal pain that may prompt the school nurse to transfer the student to a local emergency department.
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Childhood obesity is epidemic in the United States. School nurses are in a unique position to address weight with the students they serve. This article provides tools for school nurses to be able to conduct an obesity screening, demonstrate the basic skills of motivational interviewing in treatment of obesity in a school age child, and utilize the 12345 Fit-Tastic program in their practice. This article is the seventh and final article in a series on the topic of childhood obesity and the accompanying comorbidities.
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The Nevada State Legislature recently mandated that all schools in Nevada have stock epinephrine available. Clark County School District is the fifth largest school district in the nation. This article describes the process utilized by a school nurse task force to implement a mandated stock epinephrine program in the Clark County School District during the 2013-2014 school year.
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Concussion is a significant injury that can occur in physical education, during recreational activities, and during sports. School nurses should be included as an integral member of the concussion management team and assist with education, evaluation, and management of a concussed student. Recent and updated sport-related concussion management recommendations from the National Athletic Trainers' Association Research and Education Foundation as published in the March 2014 Journal of Athletic Training are reviewed to provide an understanding of best practices for concussion management in the school setting.