Blogs - News

Heart in the Game - Continued

By Greer Firestone posted 06-14-2016
Be the first person to like this.
HEART IN THE GAME: The Grace Firestone Act for SCA Awareness - Continued This blog post provides information about the breakout session titled Heart in the Game: Advocate for Symptoms of Student SCA, EKGs and Hands Only CPR/AED scheduled to be presented on Saturday, July 2, 2016 at NASN2016. THE ORIGIN OF “HEART IN THE GAME” After The Grace Firestone Act (Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Awareness) was passed in Delaware (DE), this was not enough for me. Had my 18-year-old Grace had a simple, non-invasive electrocardiogram (ECG), our family would not have been put through this nightmare. I discovered ParentHeartWatch.org , a national ...

So Much Waiting for You in Indianapolis

By Deb Robarge, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 06-14-2016
1 person like s this.
Learning, Linking, Leading at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis Indiana This blog is posted by Deb Robarge on behalf of the Indiana Association of School Nurses. We’re not just the Crossroads of America… check us out, we have so much more!!! Join us in “Learning, Linking and Leading” at NASN2016 in Indianapolis, June 30 – July 3rd, 2016. As an Indiana School Nurse, I’m thrilled to welcome school nurses from across the country and the world to our beautiful city of Indianapolis! Let us prove to you that as a local commercial says, “ there’s more than corn (and a little 500 race) in Indiana! ” As Beth Mattey has stated, “ You don’t have to do ...

Heart in the Game: The Grace Firestone Act for SCA Awareness

By Greer Firestone posted 05-31-2016
1 person like s this.
Heart in the Game: The Grace Firestone Act for SCA Awareness This blog post provides information about the breakout session titled Heart in the Game: Advocate for Symptoms of Student SCA, EKGs and Hands Only CPR/AED scheduled to be presented on Saturday, July 2, 2016 at NASN2016. June 6, 2011 Two days after high school graduation, my daughter Grace suffered Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Three minutes after 911 was called, EMS were at the door. Grace was paddled 9 times. On the way to the hospital, she stopped breathing. Ten days later she came home with an implanted defibrillator. Had Grace had a simple EKG our family might very ...

Walk or Run in the NASN Endowment Fund 5K!

By Janet Wright, RN, NCSN-E, BSN posted 05-24-2016
Be the first person to like this.
This blog post is posted on behalf of the NASN Endowment Fundraising Committee by Janet B. Wright, NASN Endowment Fundraising Committee Chair and member of the NASN Programs and Membership Committee. Janet is also the NASN Director from Virginia. Are you a walker? A runner? Plan now to join fellow school nurse conference participants in the first NASN Endowment Fund 5K! The 5K Run/Walk will raise funds to: support research about the health of school- aged children and school nursing; fund grants that improve the delivery of healthcare by school nurses; and provide scholarships for school nurses seeking advanced degrees ...

An Alert Nurse Saves a Family from the Ravages of Bed Bugs

By Marcia Anderson, LTE, PhD, ASLA posted 05-24-2016
Be the first person to like this.
An Alert Nurse Saves a Family from the Ravages of Bed Bugs This blog post provides information about the breakout session titled Assisting School Nurses in Developing a Bed Bug Action Plan scheduled to be presented on Saturday, July 2, 2016 at NASN2016. Some time ago, I visited a local childcare center and came back with a heartwarming story. The center practiced solid sanitation and maintenance as part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that proactively prevents pests by eliminating the food, water, and shelter they need to survive. They would occasionally have instances of head lice or bed bugs but, by keeping personal items ...

One Fifth of Conference Goers are First-Timers

By Rebecca King, MSN, RN, NCSN-E posted 05-03-2016
Be the first person to like this.
This blog post is posted on behalf of the NASN Programs Committee. Greetings! Approximately one fifth of NASN conference attendees are first-timers. This post is for you! Your very first NASN conference should be a memorable and rewarding experience. These tips are meant to make your planning and attendance less overwhelming! Attend the First Timers Orientation: Wednesday, June 29th at 5:00PM Last year this session was packed with over a hundred new-bees! This session puts you face to face with some of the NASN staff, board of directors and conference planners and introduces you to others navigating the NASN conference scene for the first ...

I Run for Chocolate and Empowerment. How About You?

By Louise Wilson, MS, BSN, RN, LSN, NCSN posted 05-02-2016
1 person like s this.
I’ve been running since high school. That’s over 40 years! There was a period of time I didn’t run; after I had my son, was breast feeding and before they “invented” supportive running bras. That was 21 years ago and since then I run 5-6 days a week. I run for exercise, because the endorphins make me feel good, and frankly because I have a huge appetite and like to eat. I have a bumper sticker that says “I run for chocolate.” It’s true. Mostly I run alone; at dawn, even predawn (4:00 am). I relish the solitude. Running at dawn is meditative for me. I’ve discovered solutions to many of my life problems while on a run. I’ve found peace, strength, courage, ...

Body Mass Index Screening and Referral

By Mary Louise Jorda, MPH, PhD posted 04-26-2016
Be the first person to like this.
The Meaning of School Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening and Referral to the Parents/Guardians of First, Third and Sixth Grade Students This blog post provides information about the breakout session on Thursday, June 30, 2016 at NASN2016. I am looking forward to meeting you in Indianapolis this summer and hope you attend my presentation on June 30th , the first day of NASN2016! I will present my research regarding the meaning of school Body Mass Index (BMI) screening and referral to parents. And, I have good news to share! I am also interested in learning your opinions regarding BMI, school BMI screening, and its utility in increasing parent’s perceptions ...

Networking Tips for Conference Goers

By Jon Lemich posted 04-26-2016
2 people like this.
Networking Tips for Conference Goers We all may know what it looks like to have a strong network, but most people don’t know how to build one. Asking for advice can be a mixed bag: The people most talented at networking don’t know how they do it – they just talk to people and a network grows around them. Like the other 99 percent of people, I had to work hard to learn how to network. Here are my tips. Start by Finding the Connection The entire purpose of an in-person professional conference is to bring people together and establish or strengthen their connections to one another. Everybody is here for that reason. Everybody, from ...

Join us for NASN’s First Innovation Relay!

By Erin Maughan, PhD, MS, RN, PHNA-BC, FNASN, FAAN posted 04-19-2016
1 person like s this.
Join us for NASN’s First Innovation Relay! As a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow, I had an exciting opportunity this past February to go to the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in Boston where speakers from another local company shared the innovation process they use to create new health practices and products. It was so energizing and I loved it, leaving me wanting to learn more. One of the activities IHI spoke about is called “Innovation Relays” when people come together for an intense amount of time to solve problems through innovation. They are similar to hackathons – when computer programmers get together and work to create ...

School Nurse Interventions to Promote Healthy Weight

By Sarah Butler, MS, NCSN, RN, CDE posted 04-19-2016
1 person like s this.
School Nurse Interventions to Promote Healthy Weight: You Can Make a Difference This blog post provides information about the breakout session on Thursday, June 30, 2016 at NASN2016. School Nurse Rebecca Cartmill , RN, MSN, NCSN, has 15 years of school nursing experience in the Parkway School District in St. Louis County, Missouri. Mrs. Cartmill has a BSN from the University of Missouri/St. Louis and a Masters in School Health/Public Health from the University of Missouri/Columbia. She is also a National Certified School Nurse. She has been recognized for her work as a school nurse as a finalist in the St. Louis Magazine Excellence in Nursing ...

Positive Uses of Social Media by School Nurses

By Jasmine Wood, NCSN, RN, BSN posted 04-12-2016
3 people like this.
Positive Uses of Social Media by School Nurses That Promote 21st Century Student Health This blog post provides information about the breakout session on Saturday, July 2, 2016 at NASN2016. School Nursing is unique in that, in most cases, we are the only medical professional in the building. In some rural areas, the nearest school nurse could be an hour-plus drive. School nurses do not always have a group of peers to work closely with every day like teachers do, so we have to think outside of the box and come up with creative ways to connect and communicate with other fellow school nurses. That is where social media can be a great asset to school ...

Using e-Portfolios to Document Professional Development

By Tia Campbell, MSN, RN, NCSN-E, FNASN posted 04-12-2016
1 person like s this.
Throwing Out the Paper?: Using e-Portfolios to Document the Professional Development of School Nurses This blog post is submitted by Tia Campbell on behalf of the School Nurse Institute Partnership (SNIP) representatives from Virginia This blog post provides information about the breakout session on Thursday, June 30, 2016 at NASN2016. Think about it! Where do you keep all your professional stuff - CEU’s you’ve collected, certifications, or pictures from the fantastic PTA program you helped organize? Chances are some pieces are at home, work, or perhaps you have them in a binder on your shelf. You are not alone! Historically, nurses, nursing ...

Flipped Classrooms

By Andrea Tanner, PhD, RN, NCSN posted 04-05-2016
Be the first person to like this.
Flipping the Classroom and Other Strategies to Creating Effective Trainings This blog post provides information about the breakout session on Saturday, July 2, 2016 at NASN2016. Have you ever wondered why staff so quickly forgets what they have been trained to do? How can you create songs, dances, poems, and dramas about how to respond to a blood exposure incident only for staff to ignore the entire procedure when exposed to blood? I have spent months throughout my career trying to create trainings that will lead to positive change and ensure healthy, safe learning/working environments for our students and staff. Everyone needs universal ...

Understanding Resiliency and Developing Resiliency in Students

By Robin Wallin, NCSN, RN, DNP, CPNP-PC posted 04-05-2016
Be the first person to like this.
School Nurse Strategies to Support the Development of Resilience in Children This blog post provides information about the breakout session on Saturday, July 2, 2016 at NASN2016. I am one of those really fortunate people who have the opportunity to learn every day from the work and passions of other school nurses. My work supporting school nurses has given me a view of their professional joys, problems, frustrations, and successes. As a pediatric nurse for the past 32 years, I have seen the nature of the challenges in our work with children and families gradually shift. Did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ...

Health Literacy in Action

By Deborah Pontius, MSN, RN, NCSN-E, FNASN posted 03-29-2016
3 people like this.
You Send It, but Do They Read or Understand It?: Health Literacy in Action This blog post provides information about the workshop session on Friday, July 1, 2016 at NASN2016. Are you frustrated when the student you sent home with a fever returns to school the next day, even though the note home said, “ stay home for 48 hours? ” How about when the new student health history form comes back only half completed, if it comes back at all? Written communication, including notes home, must both be READ and UNDERSTOOD to be effective. As college graduates, we all learned to write effective term papers. But we did not learn how to write medical information ...