FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2015
Contact: Margaret Cellucci, Director of Communications
National Association of School Nurses
mcellucci@nasn.org / 240-247-1628
printable version
National School Nurse Day 2015
School Nurses: Caring for Others. Caring for Ourselves.
(Silver Spring, MD) – National School Nurse Day, May 6, 2015, is a time to celebrate the specialty practice of school nursing. National Association of School Nurses (NASN) applauds the contributions school nurses make every day to improve the safety, health, and academic success of all students.
The theme this year, “School Nurses: Caring for Others. Caring for Ourselves.” is reflective of the significant roles school nurses have in the healthcare in their school communities, as well as in modeling health and resiliency. That healthy children learn better is a simple truth, and school nurses work to remove barriers to learning. In the United States more than 73,000 school nurses are stepping up to help students meet new challenges they face today and working to support education and advance student health. Health, healthy lifestyles and graduation are the goals.
“School nurses focus on prevention and well-being for students and families through education regarding healthy lifestyle choices and management of chronic diseases. Care coordination is essential for management of chronic conditions such as asthma, allergy and obesity. School nurses create individualized plans of care and implement through communication with parents and healthcare providers,” said NASN President Carolyn Duff, MS, RN, NCSN. “Quality school health services demand school nursing skills and practices based on the strongest scientific evidence, and updating knowledge is continually necessary for health and safety of students. School nurses are healthcare connectors who coordinate care to keep students in classrooms ready to learn.”
NASN believes all teachers deserve to have school nurses in their buildings, so teachers can focus on instruction and individual educational needs; and parents deserve to feel secure that children are safe at school and their health needs are met every day by specialized school nurses. School nurses have the skills to plan and implement care for students with chronic and medically complex conditions and prepare school staff to recognize and respond appropriately to potential emergencies. Prevention is key in school wellness and safety, but planned emergency response and disaster preparedness is essential and an important role for school nurses.
“It is a tremendous privilege to honor our nation’s school nurses as we celebrate National School Nurse Day,” said NASN Executive Director Donna Mazyck, MS, RN, NCSN. “School nurses influence wellness and disease prevention practices as change agents in schools and communities.”
The National Association of School Nurses is a non-profit specialty nursing organization, first organized in 1968 and incorporated in 1977, representing school nurses exclusively. NASN has more than 15,000 members and 50 affiliates, including the District of Columbia and overseas school nurses. The NASN mission is to advance school nurse practice to keep students healthy, safe and ready to learn. Please visit us on the Web at www.nasn.org.
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