School Nurse

Mt. Blue Regional School District • Farmington, ME

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The major focus of school nursing services is the prevention of illness and disability, and the early detection and correction of health problems. This role involves providing health assessments, developing and implementing health plans, interpreting health status to school personnel, and initiating referrals. The nurse will also participate in child education evaluation teams, plan and implement health management protocols for chronic conditions, and provide crisis intervention. Additionally, the position promotes communicable disease control, provides health information to students and families, and serves as a resource for health education and curriculum development. Administrative duties include maintaining health records, developing policies, preparing budgets for supplies, and organizing health and safety programs. The role also involves coordinating school and community health activities, supervising health volunteers, and preparing statistical reports.

Requirements

• Possession of a current license to practice professional nursing in the State of Maine.
• Certification as required by the Department of Education.
• Educational Specialist Certificate - School Nurse (524) PreK-12.
• A baccalaureate degree is required for all nurses hired after 2010.
• Three (3) year's experience as a professional registered nurse.

Responsibilities

• Provide health assessments.
• Obtain a health and developmental history.
• Screen and evaluate findings for deficits in vision, hearing, scoliosis, growth, etc.
• Observe the child for development and health patterns in making a nursing assessment and nursing diagnosis.
• Identify health findings which do not fall within the normal range.
• Assist with physical examinations when conducted in the school.
• Develop and implement a health plan.
• Interpret the health status of pupils to school personnel.
• Initiate referrals to parents, school personnel and community health resources for intervention, remediation, and follow through.
• Provide ongoing health information to pupils, parents, school personnel and health agencies.
• Recommend and help to implement modifications of school programs to meet students' health needs.
• Utilize existing health resources to provide appropriate care of pupils.
• Maintain, evaluate, and interpret cumulative health data to accommodate individual needs of students.
• Participate as the health specialist on the child education evaluation team to develop the health Individualized Educational Plan (I.E.P.).
• Plan and implement school health management protocols for the child with chronic health problems, including the administration of medication.
• Participate in home visits to assess the family's need as related to the child's health.
• Develop procedures and provide for crises intervention for acute illness, injury and emotional disturbances.
• Promote and assist in the control of communicable diseases through preventive immunization programs, early detection, surveillance and reporting of contagious diseases.
• Recommend provisions for a school environment conducive to learning.
• Provide information on health.
• Provide health information to assist students and families in making health related decisions.
• Participate in health education directly and indirectly for the improvement of health be teaching persons to become more assertive health consumers and to assume greater responsibility for their own health.
• Provide information to adolescents concerning health problems in order to encourage responsible decision-making practices.
• Serve as a resource person to the classroom teacher and administrator in health instruction and as a member of the health curriculum development committees.
• Coordinate school and community health activities and serve as a liaison person between the home, school, and community.
• Act as a resource person in promoting health careers.
• Engage in research and evaluation of school health services to act as a change agent for school health programs and school nursing practices.
• Assist in the formation of health policies, goals and objectives for the school unit.
• Maintain and update cumulative health records.
• Help develop/revise school health policies, procedures and standing orders.
• Prepare the budget for school health supplies.
• Review, revise and implement emergency policies, including in-service health and safety programs for personnel.
• Prepare first aid kits for each building.
• Organize, instruct, and supervise school health volunteers or assistants.
• Report regularly in writing to the principal and superintendent on school health activities.
• Prepare statistical reports for the Department of Educational and Cultural Services and Department of Human Services for the superintendent's signature as required.
• Implement the school medication policy and procedure.
• Interpret school health services to school personnel.
• Plan, implement, and supervise school health screening programs in accordance with state and district requirements and recommendations.
• Provide follow-up services when indicated.
• Interpret appraisal findings, and help students and parents accept responsibility for diagnosis and treatment.
• Serve as a health liaison between school, home, and the community.
• Make home visits as needed.
• Encourage parents to maintain current immunization protection as recommended by the Department of Human Services.
• Participate in the health aspects of kindergarten pre-registration.
• Help school personnel recognize departures from appropriate behavior and growth patterns; help students and staff adjust student programs when necessary to accommodate health needs of students.
• Serve as a resource person to school personnel.
• Participate selectively in classroom instruction under the supervision of the teacher.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Mid Level