2011 Nursing Notes Readership Survey - We Want Your Feedback! In response to a national shortage of nurses and nurse educators, Johnson & Johnson launched the Campaign for Nursing’s Future nearly 10 years ago. As part of the Campaign, this e-newsletter was developed to provide relevant and educational information to nurses and those interested in nursing. To better meet the needs of our ever-growing number of subscribers, we are seeking feedback around the award-winning Nursing Notes newsletter and its accompanying parts, including the Nursing Notes by Johnson & Johnson Facebook page and Nursing Notes Live, the Campaign’s monthly podcast series. Your responses will help us evaluate interests and perceptions of these initiatives, while also allowing us to develop new topics for our newsletter and podcast series. The survey will take approximately five minutes to complete and all information and responses will remain confidential. We thank you in advance for your participation and appreciate your continued readership and support. Click here to begin the survey. Lend Your Smile to Our Mosaic Project – Get Involved! Calling all nurses! Submit your photo today to be included in the Campaign’s Mosaic Project – The Art of Nursing: A Portrait of Thanks. In preparation for the Campaign’s 10th Anniversary in 2012, we are creating a unique photo mosaic – a compilation of different pictures to create a single image – that celebrates the nursing profession. With your participation, not only will you be a part of nursing history, you’ll also help encourage and inspire the next generation of nurses. For every photo uploaded between August 15, 2011 and February 1, 2012, the Campaign will donate $1 to the Foundation of the National Student Nurses' Association (FNSNA) to help fund nursing student scholarships. To participate in the mosaic, upload your photo (could be from work, a social event or a family outing) and complete some brief information about your nursing background. Help spread the word! Invite your fellow nurse colleagues to join in this exciting project by sending them a virtual card, available now on our Thank A Nurse Facebook tab. Still Time to Submit an Amazing Nurse Nomination! Do you know an “Amazing Nurse”? Has a fellow colleague inspired you? Be sure to nominate someone for the Campaign’s “Amazing Nurses” contest. For nearly a decade, the Campaign has worked to promote opportunities in nursing and increase awareness of the value of the nursing profession. Join us today and get involved with this important new initiative by giving tribute to wonderful nurses everywhere who continually demonstrate their commitment to the profession as well as the inspirational care they provide to their patients. Since launching last month, hundreds of heart-warming and inspirational entries have been received. There is still time to submit a nomination through September 11. Limit of one nomination per person. Twenty semi-finalists will be announced on September 27 on www.facebook.com/jnjnursingnotes and the public will have a chance to vote. The five (5) semi-finalists who receive the greatest number of valid votes through this public voting period will become Finalists and announced on the contest site on October 13, 2011. A panel of esteemed judges including, Linda Burnes Bolton (DrPH, RN, FAAN), CNO, Cedars Sinai; Jamie Davis (RN, NRMETP), “The Podmedic” and Managing Director of the ProMed Network; Diane Mancino (EdD, RN, CAE, FAAN), Executive Director at NSNA; Kim McAllister (RN, BSN, CEN), Blogger, Emergiblog; and Marla E. Salmon (ScD, RN, FAAN), University of Washington Robert G. and Jean A. Reid Dean in Nursing, Professor of Psychosocial, Community Health and Global Health Nursing will judge the finalists based on the finalist judging criteria and select the Grand Prize winner to be announced in December. For more details and to make a nomination, go to www.facebook.com/jnjnursingnotes and be sure to follow the contest on Twitter via the hashtag #thankanurse. Health & Human Services to Strengthen Nursing Workforce Late last month, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced a $71.3 million grant to help expand nursing education, training and diversity. The grant will be awarded in six key areas of nursing education including nurse faculty loan programs, advanced nursing education programs and workforce diversity. “These awards reflect the critical role of nurses in our healthcare system and our ongoing commitment to attract and retain highly-skilled nurses in the profession,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a statement announcing the grant. For information about the grant and a breakdown of awards per state and specialty visit www.hrsa.gov. New Nursing Gang™ Bookcovers Available The new complimentary Nursing Gang™ bookcovers are now available and are a fun way for children to protect their books this 2011-2012 school year. The choice of two different bookcovers include a calendar, character descriptions of The Nursing Gang™ heroes, a cartoon and a link to The Nursing Gang™ website. The interactive website offers entertaining yet educational nursing games and resources for children, including “Fun Facts” and “Know the Lingo” as well as The Nursing Gang’s™ music video, “Making a Difference Every Day.” The Nursing Gang™ is a program developed by the Campaign to educate children about nursing and spark their interest to learn more about the profession. The “Gang” features four nurses, DeVaughn, Kiki, Danny and Ashleigh, each representing a different nursing specialty. The bookcovers can be ordered through the Free Materials section of www.discovernursing.com. For more information about The Nursing Gang™, visit www.discovernursing.com/gang.

School Nurses Can Help Influence Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Teaching healthy lifestyle choices, such as proper eating habits, is key for school nurses.

The beginning of a new school year holds a different significance for everyone involved. For students, it marks the end of summer. For parents, it can mean back-to-school shopping and a new family schedule. For teachers, it means new students and lesson plans. For school nurses, it’s a chance to continue to provide care to students on a daily basis and also promote healthy lifestyle choices.

Over the past decade, new scientific studies have helped shed light on some of the most pressing health issues facing school-age children. Obesity has become a hot topic after studies, like one from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), report that obesity now affects 17 percent of all children and adolescents in the United States - triple the rate from just one generation ago. Furthermore, the YMCA found that 58 percent of children between the ages of five and 10 spend less than four days a week playing outside. Additionally, the issue of bullying has grabbed the headlines. Clemson University recently found that one in six adolescents is a victim of regular bullying. These staggering statistics highlight the unique opportunity that schools nurses have to intervene in students lives, when necessary, and help them make choices that will lead to better physical and mental health.

In the case of poor eating habits and childhood obesity, Sally Schoessler, MSEd, BSN, RN, and Interim Executive Director for the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) said “school nurses can intervene by teaching healthy eating habits to students, as well as working with the school to promote wellness policies that may include healthier choices for cafeteria food or adequate time for physical education and recess.” Schoessler added, “Additionally, school nurses can discuss prevention and treatment concerns with parents to promote a healthier lifestyle for the student.”

The NASN developed S.C.O.P.E. – School Nurse Childhood Obesity Prevention Education to tackle the growing problem of childhood obesity. This comprehensive, continuing education program was developed to provide strategies for school nurses to assist students, families and the school community to address the challenges of obesity. Highlights of this six hour accredited course include helping school nurses understand the causes and consequences of being overweight, the role obesity plays in our culture and how nurses can help protect and manage obesity, including dealing with children with type 2 diabetes.

“As school nurses, we have the opportunity to be accessible to our ‘patients’ (students) every day,” said Schoessler, “All students, no matter what the age, benefit from the assessment skills of a registered nurse who can collect both subjective and objective data to determine the appropriate interventions a student may need.”

These assessment skills allow school nurses to determine if there is a larger underlying issue, particularly when it relates to social issues like bullying. “School nurses can determine if a student’s complaint is a true physical issue, or an emotional one brought on by the anxiety and pressure of possibly being bullied,” said Schoessler. If the nurse feels that bullying is at play it’s important to provide additional support and resources for the child. “The school nurse should know what resources are available to the student in the education system and work with him or her and the staff to develop a support system that follows the school’s bullying policy.”

No matter what the issue may be, school nurses are vital members of the school community who can provide unique care and appropriate support to ensure that students will succeed. Their role often extends beyond that of a traditional healthcare provider to someone who makes sure that a student has the tools he or she needs to be healthy both physically and mentally.

For more information about teaching students healthy lifestyle choices visit, www.NASN.com. For additional information about school nurses visit, www.discovernursing.com.

The Expanding Role of the School Nurse

School nurses continue to play a critical and expanding role at all levels of our education system.

When Lina Rogers Struthers became the first public school nurse in 1902, her mission was to improve student health and foster academic success by educating students and their families about infectious diseases. Today, the role of the school nurse has expanded to meet increasingly complex student needs. According to the American Federation of Teachers, there are approximately 45,000 school nurses employed in the United States dedicated to identifying and addressing student health-related issues.

“The school nursing profession has become more demanding as the number of children with specialized healthcare needs has grown,” says Mary Ann Gapinski, MSN, RN, NCSN, President of the National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN). According to a 2008 statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics, there has been an increase in students with chronic physical, mental and neurological disorders in mainstream schools throughout the years. As a result, school nurses must be uniquely qualified to handle specialized medical and psychological needs in addition to more common conditions like diabetes, asthma and allergies.

Although today’s school nurses continue to treat injuries and chronic health problems, there are other areas of responsibility within the profession. “School nurses wear many hats, switching from patient care provider, to consultant, to administrator,” says Gapinski. They provide physical and emotional health services, health education and health assessments. School nurses are a vital liaison between students and school staff, parents and healthcare providers. There are also many different environments of work for school nurses, including elementary, middle and high school. According to Gapinski, the needs for school nurses may differ based on the distinct differences in developmental levels of the population – elementary school nurses specialize in injury prevention; middle school nurses focus on psychosocial issues; high school nurses address risk behaviors and substance abuse. In all stages of education, school nurses often have input into health and science curriculums, as well as physical education programs.

School nurses often have more autonomy than nurses in clinical settings and many nurses that enter the specialty find themselves faced with the challenge of serving as the sole healthcare provider for a large population. “The most important characteristics that a school nurse needs to succeed, aside from a strong interest in public health, are diverse nursing skills and leadership abilities," says Gapinski. Gaining experience in pediatric, emergency or community healthcare is helpful in preparing for the school nursing profession. For those interested in pursuing a career in school nursing, the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) recommends licensure as a registered nurse and a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Educational requirements do vary from state to state, however, and it is important to carefully research state laws before selecting a nursing education program. The NBCSN offers a national certification for active school nurses with a bachelor’s degree or higher in nursing or another health-related field. As with school nurse educational requirements, certification standards for school nurses differ for each state.

Although the role of school nurses has changed throughout the past 100 years, the underlying mission has remained the same. “School nurses must continue to be experts in the healthcare arena and strong advocates for students to ensure the well-being and success of students nationwide,” says Gapinski.

For more information about the school nursing specialty and NBCSN, visit www.nbcsn.com.

Get to Know...
Sheila A. Caldwell, RN, BSN, CSN
at Cambridge Park Preschool in New Jersey

Q: What inspired you to become a school nurse?
A: Throughout my nursing career, I have been a medical-surgical nurse, an intensive care nurse and a hospital-based case manager. After being a case manager for pediatrics, I decided that school nursing would be the perfect job because my own children were in school at that time. I knew it would enable me to fulfill my goals of being a good wife and mother while still being able to focus on nursing. School nursing is commonly thought to be just about applying bandages and icepacks, but after speaking with other school nurses throughout my state I knew it would be a great area of nursing to pursue.

Q: What advice would you offer to nurses interested in becoming school nurses?
A: School nursing derived from the concept of addressing public health needs, and what better place to focus on children’s health needs than in a school setting? In many cases, the school nurse is the only medical provider that a child may interact with and this allows school nurses to make the biggest impact from the child, family and community perspective. The most important thing about being a school nurse is having the ability to function at a very independent level in the educational world.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your profession?
A: Everything! People think being a nurse is easy, but it is a true science. One must prepare, anticipate, process and evaluate. In addition to knowing how the body works, one must look at each person in a holistic manner and incorporate every facet of his or her life into the care and treatment plan. There is a lot of psychology and counseling involved in the profession, especially as a school nurse.

For example, a child may visit the school nurse with a stomach ache. Yes, there could be a physical reason for the upset, but more times than not, there is some emotional or psychological issue causing the student to lose focus. The school nurse can work as the liaison between the family, faculty and community to help the child.

Q: How has nursing impacted your life?
A: Nursing has given me so much. Having the education and experience that nursing presents, I use better judgement and skills in every area of my life. Critical thinking and management skills are key to any relationship, interaction and job. I like providing people with useful information that can empower them throughout their lives while helping them make decisions that impact their health. When you’re a nurse, your whole being is different. You see the world from a different perspective and want to help others see it a little bit differently as well.

Check out Sheila’s “Day in the Life” video and follow her throughout her day interacting with students. Watch the entire “Day in the Life” video series on the Johnson & Johnson Health Channel on YouTube.

To learn more about school nursing check out the Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future “Be Someone, Be a School Nurse” brochure. This complimentary brochure features information about the profession including requirements, education and resources.