School Nurse job description
A School Nurse is a professional who is there to make sure that every student has access to mental and physical health services throughout the day. They work with teachers and parents or guardians on behalf of their patients in order to create care plans for them when needed, including medication management if necessary.
What is a school nurse?
School nurses provide health services in schools and other educational settings. Their goal is to treat student injuries or illnesses and advise students, their parents or guardians, and staff on health issues.
What does a school nurse do?
Apart from injuries and sudden ailments, school nurses may also support students with chronic illnesses and disabilities – for example, by administering medication to them (e.g. insulin injections). School nurses also promote health-related habits (e.g. proper hand-washing) and ensure compliance with national and local health policies for schools.
School nurse duties include:
- Providing healthcare to students with acute or chronic health problems
- Conducting screenings and writing referrals for health services
- Developing and monitoring health plans for students
What skills do you need to be a school nurse?
School nurses usually have a degree in Nursing and a valid national certification. School nurse job duties require excellent organizational and communication skills. Knowledge of basic computer software is a plus, as nurses often perform administrative tasks, such as updating students’ medical records. When crafting your own school nurse job description, make sure to include all relevant skills as requirements.
Job brief
We are looking for an experienced school nurse to join our institution.
Your primary responsibility will be to provide health services to students when they are at school. For example, you’ll treat injuries and and mild to acute sicknesses, or support students with chronic illnesses. You’ll also help with preventive care by educating students on how to avoid communicable diseases and having proper hygiene.
To succeed in this role, you must have excellent organizational skills and the ability to communicate with children, their parents or guardians, and teachers. If you meet these requirements, and you also have a genuine interest in improving children’s lives, we’d like to hear from you.
Responsibilities
- Provide basic healthcare to students in case of injury or acute illness
- Develop health plans for students with chronic illnesses and disabilities
- Educate students and staff on healthy habits, such as proper nutrition and hygiene
- Detect health problems in early stages through regular screenings
- Keep track of students’ vaccination records
- Update students’ medical history
- Ensure school environment is safe for children and school staff (e.g. prevention of communicable diseases)
- Write referrals for pediatricians and other health specialists
- Ensure compliance with national and local health laws
Requirements and skills
- Provide basic healthcare to students in case of injury or acute illness
- Develop health plans for students with chronic illnesses and disabilities
- Educate students and staff on healthy habits, such as proper nutrition and hygiene
- Detect health problems in early stages through regular screenings
- Keep track of students’ vaccination records
- Update students’ medical history
- Ensure school environment is safe for children and school staff (e.g. prevention of communicable diseases)
- Write referrals for pediatricians and other health specialists
- Ensure compliance with national and local health laws
Frequently asked questions
- What does a School Nurse do?
- School Nurses spend their days doing the following: performing hearing, vision, and other health screenings, and treating students who have ongoing conditions like allergies or diabetes with medication as needed to manage symptoms of these illnesses. They consult with teachers about how they can better care for their students' needs in order to teach healthy habits and lifelong skills while also consulting administrators on what resources will be available if any emergency situation arises during school hours.
- What are the duties and responsibilities of a School Nurse?
- School nurses are often the first chance students have at receiving medical attention, which is why it's so important to be organized and flexible. They should also be aware and understand the policies regarding students' well-being on their own or when working with other professionals such as teachers who may need help managing students' behavior issues that arise from flaws within an educational setting itself.
- What makes a good School Nurse?
- The ideal School Nurse is not only well-versed in many areas of health, but also knows how to work independently or with others. They must have the ability to communicate effectively and assess situations quickly so they can best serve their students' needs.
- Who does a School Nurse work with?
- School Nurses find themselves working with many different people in their role - from parents or teachers who need help caring for their child on any given day, all while managing illnesses that may arise within these groups too. They work with Child Care Teachers to find the best ways to care for each student.